The Needs and Related Factors of Caregivers for Schizophrenia Patients in the Hualien Area, Taiwan

• Main Authors: Tzu-Ying Lee, 李姿瑩
• Other Authors: Yun-Fang Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/41458355487207852018

碩士 === 慈濟醫學院 === 護理學研究所 === 88 === The purpose of the study was to explore the needs for and factors relating to caregivers for schizophrenia patients in the Hualien Area of Taiwan. The present study used purpose sampling to select and interrogate aboriginal and non-aboriginal primary caregivers who were responsible for schizophrenic patients. A structured questionnaire was used to acquire information from caregivers, responses being collected from two distinct caregiver groups, these consisting of 50 aboriginal and 50 non-aboriginal subjects. SPSS for Windows 8.0 was used for data analysis. Results indicate that the primary caregivers for schizophrenic patients tended to be female, the parent or spouse of the patients, were aged between 41 and 50 or above 60, with both low family income and educational level. The schizophrenic patients tended to be female, aged between 20 and 40, with low educational level, unmarried, not employed, and living with their families. The principal caregivers'' greatest needs were "material needs" followed by "informational needs" and "emotional needs" in decreasing order. With regards to overall needs, members of the aboriginal caregiver group ranked their top three needs as: having someone to assist them when they needed social resources, having access to appropriate social resources when they needed them, and being aware of what assistance they could apply for and what channels they should follow. The non-aboriginal group''s top three needs were: the provision of a telephone service to help caregivers solving problems which arose during their caretaking activity, having available medical organizations nearby so as to help caregivers when needed, permitting the patients to be hospitalized when appropriate, and accessing social resources when they were needed. The ages of caregivers and the degrees of concern with psychotic symptoms for the caregivers were the important predictors of overall caregiver needs, explaining 34% of this parameter''s variation. As regards informational needs, the two groups both rated " to be aware of what assistance they could apply for and what channels they should follow." as the first priority; the ages of caregivers, the degrees of concern with psychotic symptoms for the caregivers and caregiver attitude toward the illness were the important predictors of the informational needs, explaining 35% of this parameter''s variation. In terms of emotional needs, the two groups both rated "to be able to obtain medical or nursing personnel support and comfort when needed" as the first priority; caregiver race, the degrees of concern with psychotic symptoms for the caregivers and psychological load being the important predictors of the emotional needs, explaining 27% of this parameter''s variation. In the category of material needs, the aboriginal group scored "having someone to assist them when they needed social resources" as their highest priority; non-aboriginals selecting "the provision of a telephone service to help them solving problems in their caretaking activity" as their highest priority. The ages of patients, caregivers race and the degrees of concern with psychotic symptoms for the caregivers were the important predictors of the material needs, explaining 26% of this parameter''s variation. Aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups revealed a difference only with respect to the "material needs" category, for which aboriginal caregivers demonstrated a more pronounced need than non-aboriginals. Results of the current study will be of assistance to nursing professionals in understanding the needs of primary caretakers for schizophrenic patients in the Hualien area of Taiwan, and will act as a reference for the future development of action plans and techniques for holistic nursing care for schizophrenic patients.