Factors of Importance for the Subjective and Objective Burden of Informal Caregivers to Patients With Functional Psychoses - a Descriptive and Comparative Study

The study also comprises a descriptive part with the aim:

• To describe clinical characteristics, symptoms, and functioning in the patient group.
• To describe patient resource use in terms of support from the health care and social care sector.
• To describe the socio-economic situation, the general and psychological health, and the coping ability of the informal caregivers.

Inclusion criteria

• Provision of informed consent
• Patients, male or female, aged 18 years or more, suffering or having suffered from a psychotic episode and being in need of continuous antipsychotic medication.
• The respective patient must have at least one informal caregiver.
• Subjects (patients and informal caregivers) must be able to read and write.

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of dementia and such cognitive impairment which makes self assessments even with assistance unreliable (patients and informal caregivers).
• Involvement in the planning and conduct of the study (patients and informal caregivers).
• Other concurrent medical condition interfering with ability to complete study (patients and informal caregivers).