The evaluation of the relationship between social support systems and burnout levels of relatives who caregiver of schizophrenia patients: The case of Istanbul

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that shows itself in young adulthood in the life of individuals and does not have a clear descriptive framework because its clinical course varies in each diagnosed individual. This variability observed in each diagnosed individual changes the life dynamics of the individuals diagnosed due to the specificity of the treatment and the fact that the disease is a chronic disorder. Due to these changing dynamics and the fact that the disease changes the normal processes in the individual's social functioning and perception mechanisms, individuals who are diagnosed may need care. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between these two variables by measuring the social support systems and burnout levels of the relatives who undertake the basic care of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and whose treatment has been ongoing for at least one year. While discussing these relationships, in the first part of our study, the definition, history, symptoms, treatment processes of schizophrenia and the psychosocial problems experienced by the caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia were mentioned. In the second part, the concepts of burnout and social support are discussed and the burnout experienced by caregivers and their social support systems are discussed. Since the perception of social support is different for each individual, it is a subjective concept. In this context, perceived social support systems have been examined since it deals with how caregivers experience social support patterns rather than measuring the social support systems they have. Simple random sampling, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in our study. Socio-demographic form, Maslach Burnout Scale and Perceived Social Support Scale were used to collect data. The sample of our study consists of the caregivers of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who are receiving treatment from five Community Mental Health Centers affiliated with the Istanbul Erenköy Training and Research Hospital For Psychiatry and Neurological Diseases he obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 25.0 program. While the gender ratios of the caregivers in our study were close to each other, their ages generally varied between 40 and 59. 54.5% of them were primary school graduates, 72% were married, and 81% shared the same household with their caregivers. Caregivers whose marital status was married and university graduate perceived social support from friends higher. Among the burnout levels of the caregivers, the highest level of personal achievement burnout, the caregivers between the ages of 40-59 experienced a higher level of emotional burnout than the caregivers in the other age group, the caregivers who are parents or spouses to the individual they care for and caregivers sharing the same household. It was determined that they experienced more emotional burnout. According to the analysis of the relationship between social support and burnout, a negative relationship was found between family social support and three dimensions of burnout. While there was a negative and moderate relationship between caregivers' perceived total social support perceptions, emotional burnout and insensitivity dimensions, a negative but low-level significant relationship was revealed with personal achievement burnout.