Relation between the burden of cargiving,submissive behavior and depressive symptoms among caregivers of psychiatric patients

Background: In providing care for psychiatric patients, caregivers play a critical role.
Increased caregiver's burden may increase their susceptibility to mental disorders and
demonstrate submissive behavioral patterns, which are one of the least efficient coping
strategies and may have a mediating effect on future depression. Aim: A study designed for
exploring the relation between the burden of caregiving, submissive behaviors, and depressive
symptoms among caregivers of psychiatric patients. Subjects and Method: The study used a
descriptive correlational research design. 148 caregivers of psychiatric patients at the time of
the visit from the inpatient department and also from the outpatient clinics in Port-Said
Psychiatric Health Hospital were included in the study. To gather the necessary data, three
instruments were used. Instrument I: Zairt Care Giver Burden Scale, Instrument II: Submissive
Acts Scale, Instrument III: Beck Depression Inventory, additionally, personal and clinical data
questionnaire. Results: According to the findings, the majority of psychiatric patients'
caregivers had a severe level of burden, more than half of them had a high level of submissive
behavior, and almost all of them had a severe level of depression. Conclusion: A statistically
significant positive correlation was found between caregiving burden, submissive behaviors,
and depressive symptoms among the studied caregivers of psychiatric patients at p ≤ 0.05.
Recommendations: Appropriate interventions could reduce the burden on caregivers and
teach effective coping approaches which had a beneficial impact on depressive symptoms
among caregivers of psychiatric patients.