Family Caregivers' Perceptions of Schizophrenia and Community Members' Attitudes Toward Patients and Their Family Caregivers.

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with no known single cause which makes family caregivers of patients to develop their own perceptions and interpretations of the condition. We aimed to find out family caregivers' perceptions and how they influence their treatment seeking behavior as well as attitudes of community members toward family caregivers and their patients. Qualitative data were collected from 24 family caregivers, of patients with schizophrenia who were residents of Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Findings indicated that family caregivers accepted schizophrenia as a chronic medical condition that could only be treated in a hospital. Community members got used to seeing patients with schizophrenia and accepted them with their family caregivers as part of their community. Study findings provide important information that could be used by social workers, other mental health workers and policy-makers to strengthen service delivery and mobilization of social support for family caregivers and their patients with schizophrenia.