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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 3/2015

01-03-2015 | Original Paper

Caregiver distress in first-episode psychosis: the role of subjective appraisal, over-involvement and symptomatology

Authors: Jens Einar Jansen, Ulrik Helt Haahr, Susanne Harder, Anne Marie Trauelsen, Hanne-Grethe Lyse, Marlene Buch Pedersen, Erik Simonsen

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 3/2015

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Abstract

Background

Caregivers of persons with first-episode psychosis (FEP) often report high levels of distress. Preventing long-term or chronic distress within the whole family is an important focus of early intervention for psychosis. However, a more comprehensive understanding of the psychological factors involved is needed.

Aims

To examine the impact of subjective appraisals and expressed emotion on caregiver distress in FEP.

Method

Within a cross-sectional design, 154 caregivers of 99 persons with FEP in a clinical epidemiological sample completed a series of questionnaires to examine potential predictors of caregiver distress.

Results

Thirty-seven percent of caregivers were suffering from clinically significant distress. A linear mixed model analysis found that, after controlling for caregiver socio-demographic factors, service-user symptoms and global functioning, emotional over-involvement and subjective appraisal of caregiving were significant predictors of caregiver distress.

Conclusion

Caregiver distress is significant in the early phase of illness, and this seems to be more related to their subjective appraisal and over-involvement, than to variations in symptoms and global functioning of the person diagnosed with FEP. This lends further support to the stress-appraisal coping model and the cognitive model of caregiving in FEP, and highlights supportive interventions aimed at handling unhelpful cognitions and behaviors.
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Metadata
Title
Caregiver distress in first-episode psychosis: the role of subjective appraisal, over-involvement and symptomatology
Authors
Jens Einar Jansen
Ulrik Helt Haahr
Susanne Harder
Anne Marie Trauelsen
Hanne-Grethe Lyse
Marlene Buch Pedersen
Erik Simonsen
Publication date
01-03-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 3/2015
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0935-8

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