An explanation of qualify of life in family carers of people with schizophrenia

本研究旨在探讨照顾者负担对精神分裂症患者家庭照顾者的影响。照顾家庭成员可能对照顾者的身心健康、家庭关系和就业可持续性产生负面影响。照顾者需要足够的支援，使他们能够履行照顾责任。尽管对照顾者负担与照顾者生活质量之间的关系进行了广泛的研究，但仍存在一些局限性。大多数研究涉及身体残疾人士的照顾者，很少考虑照顾者的社会环境（如社会支持的不同方面）。此外，很少有研究关注台湾心理健康问题患者的照护者。本项目将探讨与精神分裂症患者家庭照顾者主观和客观照顾者负担相关的因素。客观负担是指护理人员可能遇到的实际问题，例如维持社会关系、参加休闲和工作活动方面的困难。主观负担与照顾者的情绪有关，如痛苦、悲伤或焦虑。它还将审查照顾者负担在多大程度上影响对社区精神卫生资源的感知需求。项目将采用定量与定性相结合的顺序解释性混合研究方法。照护者的家庭功能、社会和专业支持与照护负担之间的相关性将通过定量方法进行检验。质性访谈将探讨照顾经验，以及护理/支援服务是否有助于照顾者履行照顾责任。参加者将透过台湾的非营利机构接触。此外，研究结果将通过确定精神分裂症患者的家庭照顾者的需求来影响政策。研究结果将在以下几个方面对台湾社会有益：(a)基于照顾者意见的政策建议将得到反映和推广；(b)将举办一系列研讨会，向精神分裂症患者及其照顾者以及精神卫生领域的专业人员介绍研究结果；（三）会为社工、护理员、护理员及维权人士制订实务指引及培训计划，以提高评估照顾者需要的专业知识；(d)研究结果将在国际会议上发表，并提交给社会工作和社会政策刊物，例如《国际关怀杂志》。

This research aims to investigate the impact of caregiver burden on family carers of individuals with schizophrenia. Caring for a family member may negatively affect carers' physical and mental health, family relationship and employment sustainability. Carers need sufficient support to enable them to manage their caring responsibilities. Although the relationship between caregiver burden and carers' life quality has been widely researched, several limitations exist. Most research relates to carers of people with physical disabilities and rarely considers carers' social circumstances (such as different aspects of social support). Additionally, few studies have focussed on carers of people with mental health problems in Taiwan. This project will explore factors associated with objective and subjective caregiver burdens of family carers of people with schizophrenia. Objective burden relates to practical problems carers may experience, such as difficulties in maintaining a social relationship, attending leisure and work activities. Subjective burden relates to the emotions of caregivers, such as distress, sadness or anxiety. It will also examine the extent to which caregiver burden influences the perceived need for community-based mental health resources. A sequential explanatory mixed-method study combining quantitative and qualitative research methods will be employed in the project. The correlation between carers' family functioning, social and professional support, and caregiving burden will be examined via quantitative methods. Qualitative interviews will then explore caring experience and whether care/support services contribute to carers' ability to meet their caring responsibilities.Participants will be accessed through non-profit organisations in Taiwan. In addition, the research findings will be used to influence policy by establishing the needs of family carers of people with schizophrenia. The research results will benefit Taiwanese society in several ways: (a) policy suggestions based on carers' opinions will be reflected and promoted; (b) a set of seminars will be hosted to present the findings to people with schizophrenia and their carers, and professionals in the mental health field; (c) a practice guidance and a training programme will be developed for social workers, care workers, care managers, and advocates to improve professional knowledge on the assessment of carers' needs; (d) the findings will be presented at International conferences, and submitted to social work and social policy journals, such as the International Journal of Care and Caring.