DETERMINANTS OF AN EXTENDED FAMILY SYSTEM HARBORING A CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENT

Abstract

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia refers to a major mental disorder, the most severe and debilitating

psychiatric illness, afflicting, roughly, 1% population, whose causes are still largely unknown, and which

involves a complex set of disturbances of thinking, perception, affect and social behavior. So far, no society

or culture anywhere in the world has been found free from schizophrenia. Typically, the illness occurs in

young adults, having a lifelong course with decline in functioning be it personal, occupational or social

putting great financial and emotional burden on family as well as the society in terms of disability and

health costs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the core reasons for harboring chronic schizophrenia patients

among extended families. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: OPD, Department of

Psychiatry Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Karachi. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: This study was

carried over a total of 100 patients who met the diagnosis or schizophrenia on ICD-10, having the duration

on illness of at least 5 years, and one of the members of their extended family living together. It took six

months to collect the data of the required number of patients. RESULTS: Extended family members harbor

schizophrenia patient’s are fear of God, kinship ties, responsibilities as family, sympathy, fear of harm to

patient or others, social humiliation, symptom reduction, and poor living conditions in facilities.

CONCLUSION: The biopsychosocial factors should include religio-cultural factors of harboring

schizophrenia patients mentioned in the results