Mental health care today

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers to people who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitalization. A quantitative exploratory study was performed at an outpatient clinic of a mental health service. The sample consisted of patients who had been discharged and their caregivers. A questionnaire was used, and the study was approved by the local research ethics committee. Of the 48 discharged patients, 21 had a caregiver. All the identified caregivers were relatives of the patients, and their average age was 46.6 years. In 38% of cases, the patient's mother was the caregiver. In terms of marital status, 61.9% of the caregivers were married or living in common-law relationships, and only one caregiver did not have children. The main source of income for 28.6% of the participants was temporary keeping eventual jobs. By knowing who is the caregiver of a patient discharged from psychiatric hospitalization it is possible to identify the characteristics that may help to determine the best treatment and professional support for that population.