Burden Assessment, Psychiatric Morbidity, and Their Correlates in Caregivers of Patients with Intellectual Disability.

OBJECTIVE: Intellectual disability in a child places great stress on a family and caregiver and this leads to significant socio-occupational dysfunction and impaired quality of life for caregivers. This study aimed to assess socio-demographic characteristics, burden, and psychiatric morbidity of the caregivers of persons with intellectual disability, as well as to determine the variables that correlated with burden and psychiatric morbidity.

METHODS: An observational study was carried out in an outpatient psychiatric unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India from October 2014 to April 2015. A total of 100 caregivers of intellectually impaired individuals were assessed for burden and psychiatric morbidity.

RESULTS: In all, 39% of the caregivers had a high burden score, 46% perceived mild-to-moderate burden severity, and 15% perceived no to mild burden. Mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms were present in 23% and 16% had severe-to-extremely severe depressive symptoms. Mild-to-moderate anxiety symptoms were evident in 19% of caregivers and a further 19% had severe-to-extremely severe anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Routine assessment of burden and psychiatric morbidity in the caregiver will help to reduce their burden and thus help them care for their children more appropriately and efficiently.