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Caregivers of mentally ill patients suffer from high levels of stress and self-blame
Thursday, 26 May 2011 15:43

Caregivers of mentally ill patients suffer from high levels of stress and self-blameMental illness can be devastating at any age. Conditions such as schizophrenia and depression take a toll not only on the patient, but on their caregivers as well. A new study from Concordia University and the University of British Columbia reports that people who take care of mentally ill loved ones tend to experience high levels of stress, substance abuse and self-blame, as well as hopelessness and anxiety.

Lead author Carsten Wrosch explained that caring for a relative who has a mental illness can be a strenuous task. He suggested that those who look after mentally ill patients may be even more stressed than people who have family members with dementia.

For his paper, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, he and his colleagues followed family caregivers over a period of 17 months. The team found that individuals who were capable of letting go of life goals - such as having a career or going on vacation - in favor of caregiving duties were more likely to cope better with emotional stress.

"We found that participants who had an easier time abandoning goals blamed themselves less frequently for problems associated with caregiving and used alcohol or drugs less frequently to regulate their emotions," the researchers concluded.
 

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