Effect of Empowerment Program on Caregiver Burden for Caregivers of Schizophrenia Patients, Fang Hospital, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

ABSTRACT 

         This study is quasi-experimental research using a single group to measure outcomes before and after the experiment (The one-group pretest-posttest design). The objective is to investigate the effect of an empowerment program on the caregiving burden for caregivers of schizophrenia patients, comparing overall burden, subjective burden, and objective burden of caregivers before and after participating in the empowerment program.

         The sample group in the study consisted of 20 caregivers of schizophrenia patients with residual symptoms at Fang Hospital. The empowerment program on the caregiving burden for caregivers, including 6 interventions, duration 3 weeks and caregiver burden questionnaire. Data collection involved administering questionnaire forms both before and after the experiment. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis and the inferential statistical analysis was the paired samples T test.

         Results of the study found that after the experiment, scores of overall caregiving burden, subjective burden, and objective burden decreased significantly (p<.05). Before the experiment, the samples had high level of overall caregiving burden (=85.35). Whereas after the experiment had a low level of overall burden (=47.40). Also before the experiment had high levels of subjective burden (=40.85). After the experiment had a low level of subjective burden (=26.50). Additionally, before the experiment had high levels of objective burden (=44.50) and after the experiment, the scores decreased to lowest (=20.90). In conclusion, the caregiver empowerment program effectively reduces caregiver burden for caregivers of schizophrenia patients at Fang Hospital. Therefore, the caregiver empowerment program should be used for further research studies with caregivers of patients in other groups.