Physical and psychological health of carers of young people with first episode psychosis

Abstract

Objective: Carers of people with psychosis may experience psychological distress and caregiving burden. However, few studies have examined both psychological and physical health of carers of young people with first episode psychosis (FEP). Method: A total of 32 young people with FEP and 42 of their carers were recruited from a mental health service. Standardised scales were administered to assess carers’ psychological distress and risk for development of Type 2 diabetes. Their body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured. Results: A total of 24% ( n = 10) of carers experienced high/very high psychological distress and 39.0% ( n = 16) had high risk for Type 2 diabetes. It was common for carers to be overweight ( n = 33, 78.6%) and to have hypertension ( n = 14, 33.3%). Carers’ higher levels of psychological distress were associated with shorter duration of illness in the young person. Conclusions: Caring for a young person with FEP is associated with poor physical and psychological health. Findings show the importance of supporting carers’ physical and psychological health early in treatment of young people with FEP.