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Experience of caregiving: relatives of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis

Section of Cognitive Psychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London

ELIZABETH KUIPERS, PhD

Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London

TONMOY SHARMA, MRCPsych

Section of Cognitive Psychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London

Correspondence: Dr Tonmoy Sharma, Section of Cognitive Psychopharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Tel: +44(0)20 7848 0342; Fax: +44(0)20 7848 0646; e-mail: t.sharma{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest Research supported by Grosvenor House Group Estates, Eastwood Care Homes plc and Psychmed Ltd.

Background There has been relatively little research on caregivers of people experiencing their first episode of psychosis.

Aims To investigate dimensions of caregiving and morbidity in caregivers of people with first-episode psychosis.

Method Caregivers of 40 people with first-episode psychosis were interviewed at home about their experience of caregiving, coping strategies and distress.

Results Caregivers used emotional and practical strategies to cope with participants' negative symptoms and difficult behaviours and experienced more worry about these problems. They increased supervision when the participants displayed difficult behaviours. Twelve per cent of caregivers were suffering from psychiatric morbidity as defined by the General Health Questionnaire. Those living with the participant had more frequent visits to their general practitioner.

Conclusions At first-episode psychosis, caregivers are already having to cope with a wide range of problems and are developing coping strategies.

Caregivers worried most about difficult behaviours and negative symptoms in participants.

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