Skip to main content
Indian Journal of Psychiatry logoLink to Indian Journal of Psychiatry
. 2004 Jul-Sep;46(3):238–243.

Psychosocial Dysfunction and Family Burden in Schizophrenia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Josy K Thomas 1,*, PN Suresh Kumar 2, AN Verma 3, VK Sinha 4, Chittaranjan Andrade 5
PMCID: PMC2951649  PMID: 21224905

Abstract

This study aimed to assess and compare the extent and pattern of psychosocial dysfunction and family burden in schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and to identify interrelationships between the two variables in these two disorders. First-degree relatives/spouses of 35 schizophrenic and 30 OCD patients were interviewed using the Dysfunction Analysis Questionnaire (DAQ) and the Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS). Global score and scores in vocational, personal, familial and cognitive areas on the DAQ, and global score, subjective score, and scores on items such as financial burden, disruption of family-routine, disruption of family leisure and disruption of family interactions on the FBIS were significantly higher in the schizophrenic group. Dysfunction in social area was comparable in two groups. OCD group showed a significant positive correlation between dysfunction and all areas of family burden except physical and mental health. Schizophrenic group showed a significant positive correlation between dysfunction and disruption of family interaction. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: psychosocial dysfunction, family burden, schizophrenia, OCD

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (419.4 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amir N., Freshman M., Foa E. B. Family distress and involvement in relatives of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. J Anxiety Disord. 2000 May-Jun;14(3):209–217. doi: 10.1016/s0887-6185(99)00032-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bellack A. S., Morrison R. L., Wixted J. T., Mueser K. T. An analysis of social competence in schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry. 1990 Jun;156:809–818. doi: 10.1192/bjp.156.6.809. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Black D. W., Gaffney G., Schlosser S., Gabel J. The impact of obsessive-compulsive disorder on the family: preliminary findings. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1998 Jul;186(7):440–442. doi: 10.1097/00005053-199807000-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Calvocoressi L., Lewis B., Harris M., Trufan S. J., Goodman W. K., McDougle C. J., Price L. H. Family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1995 Mar;152(3):441–443. doi: 10.1176/ajp.152.3.441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Calvocoressi L., Libman D., Vegso S. J., McDougle C. J., Price L. H. Global functioning of inpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and major depression. Psychiatr Serv. 1998 Mar;49(3):379–381. doi: 10.1176/ps.49.3.379. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chakrabarti S., Kulhara P., Verma S. K. Extent and determinants of burden among families of patients with affective disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1992 Sep;86(3):247–252. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1992.tb03261.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chakrabarti Subho, Gill Sapna. Coping and its correlates among caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder: a preliminary study. Bipolar Disord. 2002 Feb;4(1):50–60. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-5618.2002.01167.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cooper M. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: effects on family members. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1996 Apr;66(2):296–304. doi: 10.1037/h0080180. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Emmelkamp P. M., de Haan E., Hoogduin C. A. Marital adjustment and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 1990 Jan;156:55–60. doi: 10.1192/bjp.156.1.55. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fadden G., Bebbington P., Kuipers L. The burden of care: the impact of functional psychiatric illness on the patient's family. Br J Psychiatry. 1987 Mar;150:285–292. doi: 10.1192/bjp.150.3.285. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Giel R., de Arango M. V., Hafeiz Babikir A., Bonifacio M., Climent C. E., Harding T. W., Ibrahim H. H., Ladrido-Ignacio L., Murthy R. S., Wig N. N. The burden of mental illness on the family. Results of observations in four developing countries. A report from the WHO Collaborative Study on Strategies for Extending Mental Health Care. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Sep;68(3):186–201. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb06998.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gopinath P. S., Chaturvedi S. K. Distressing behaviour of schizophrenics at home. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1992 Sep;86(3):185–188. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1992.tb03249.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Khanna S., Rajendra P. N., Channabasavanna S. M. Social adjustment in obsessive compulsive disorder. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 1988 Summer;34(2):118–122. doi: 10.1177/002076408803400205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lefley H. P. Family burden and family stigma in major mental illness. Am Psychol. 1989 Mar;44(3):556–560. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.44.3.556. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Leon A. C., Portera L., Weissman M. M. The social costs of anxiety disorders. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 1995 Apr;(27):19–22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pai S., Kapur R. L. The burden on the family of a psychiatric patient: development of an interview schedule. Br J Psychiatry. 1981 Apr;138:332–335. doi: 10.1192/bjp.138.4.332. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Platt S. Measuring the burden of psychiatric illness on the family: an evaluation of some rating scales. Psychol Med. 1985 May;15(2):383–393. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700023680. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rapoport J. L., Swedo S. E., Leonard H. L. Childhood obsessive compulsive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 1992 Apr;53 (Suppl):11–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Staebler C. R., Pollard C. A., Merkel W. T. Sexual history and quality of current relationships in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder: a comparison with two other psychiatric samples. J Sex Marital Ther. 1993 Summer;19(2):147–153. doi: 10.1080/00926239308404898. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tynes L. L., Salins C., Winstead D. K. Obsessive compulsive patients: familial frustration and criticism. J La State Med Soc. 1990 Oct;142(10):24-6, 28-9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Veltro F., Magliano L., Lobrace S., Morosini P. L., Maj M. Burden on key relatives of patients with schizophrenia vs neurotic disorders: a pilot study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1994 Apr;29(2):66–70. doi: 10.1007/BF00805624. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Indian Journal of Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of Wolters Kluwer -- Medknow Publications

RESOURCES