Measuring the Disease Burden and Quality of Life From the Schizophrenia Caregivers’ Perspective
Author(s)
Luying Wang, BS, MS, PhD1, Yuyanzi Zhang, MS2, Peng Dai, PhD3, Xiuchen Zhan, MS4, Yixiao Jiao, MS5, Chen Jiang, BS5, Yifang Liang, BS4, Xin Guan, PhD4.
1post doctoral researcher, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China, 2China pharmaceutical university, Nanjing, China, 3the Second People’s Hospital of Jiangning District, Nanjing, Nanjing, China, 4China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China, 5China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
1post doctoral researcher, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China, 2China pharmaceutical university, Nanjing, China, 3the Second People’s Hospital of Jiangning District, Nanjing, Nanjing, China, 4China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China, 5China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
OBJECTIVES: To measure and analyze schizophrenia disease burden from the caregivers’ perspective and assess their quality of life.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey recruiting family caregivers of schizophrenia patients from a mental health hospital in Nanjing, China, from January to March, 2025. Caregivers were invited to provide social-demographical and patients’ disease information, and to answer EQ-5D-5L and Zarit Burden Interview-22 (ZBI-22) scale. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess the correlation between ZBI-22 and EQ-5D-5L. Rank sum test was applied to analyze the difference of quality of life and care-giving burden across subgroups.
RESULTS: A total of 102 caregivers completed the questionnaires. Mean age of the family caregivers was 53.4 and males accounted for 68.6%. Half of them (50.0%) lived in the countryside. Couple (40.2%) was the most common relationship between the caregivers and patients, followed by parents (24.5%) and children (23.5%). Nearly half of the caregivers (45.1%) were the only person taking care of the patients. Caregivers spending no less than 3 hours everyday taking care of patients constituted the largest proportion (45.1%), while 24.5% of the caregiver reported daily care-giving time exceeding 15 hours. The mean EQ-5D-5L utility value of the caregivers was 0.88 (SD=0.15) with the largest proportion of caregivers reporting problems in Anxiety/Depression (49.0%). The mean ZBI-22 total score was 33.4 (SD=19.6) indicating mild to moderate care-giving burden. Caregivers reported higher sub-scale scores in loss of control over one’s life, finances, and relationship indicating significant burden in these aspects. The spearman correlation coefficient was -0.53 between EQ-5D-5L utility values and ZBI-22 scores, suggesting moderate correlation. Older caregivers reported significantly lower utility values and higher ZBI-22 scores. Female caregivers had lower utility values compared to the males
CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of schizophrenia patients presented lower quality of life compared to the general population and reported mild to moderate care-giving burden
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey recruiting family caregivers of schizophrenia patients from a mental health hospital in Nanjing, China, from January to March, 2025. Caregivers were invited to provide social-demographical and patients’ disease information, and to answer EQ-5D-5L and Zarit Burden Interview-22 (ZBI-22) scale. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess the correlation between ZBI-22 and EQ-5D-5L. Rank sum test was applied to analyze the difference of quality of life and care-giving burden across subgroups.
RESULTS: A total of 102 caregivers completed the questionnaires. Mean age of the family caregivers was 53.4 and males accounted for 68.6%. Half of them (50.0%) lived in the countryside. Couple (40.2%) was the most common relationship between the caregivers and patients, followed by parents (24.5%) and children (23.5%). Nearly half of the caregivers (45.1%) were the only person taking care of the patients. Caregivers spending no less than 3 hours everyday taking care of patients constituted the largest proportion (45.1%), while 24.5% of the caregiver reported daily care-giving time exceeding 15 hours. The mean EQ-5D-5L utility value of the caregivers was 0.88 (SD=0.15) with the largest proportion of caregivers reporting problems in Anxiety/Depression (49.0%). The mean ZBI-22 total score was 33.4 (SD=19.6) indicating mild to moderate care-giving burden. Caregivers reported higher sub-scale scores in loss of control over one’s life, finances, and relationship indicating significant burden in these aspects. The spearman correlation coefficient was -0.53 between EQ-5D-5L utility values and ZBI-22 scores, suggesting moderate correlation. Older caregivers reported significantly lower utility values and higher ZBI-22 scores. Female caregivers had lower utility values compared to the males
CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of schizophrenia patients presented lower quality of life compared to the general population and reported mild to moderate care-giving burden
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
PCR156
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Patient-Centered Research, Real World Data & Information Systems
Topic Subcategory
Health State Utilities, Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
Mental Health (including addition), No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas