The Relationship between Family Burden and Mental Health Service Needs of Family for Home-based Chronic Mental Patients in Community

Kim, In Hong

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was carried out to identify the relationships of family burden and mental health service needs of chronic mental patients in community.
METHODS
Objects of the study were 153 chronic mental patients in community of P. city in korea. Data were collected from December, 2007 to February, 2008 using structured questionnaire. Research tools of this study were family burden tool developed by Pai & Kapur (1981) and mental health service needs tool developed by Kim (2003).
RESULTS
The average grades for family burden was 1.62 points. And the biggest part of family burden was economic burden(1.74), followed by interrupt of daily life(1.67), interrupt of family relationship(1.64), interrupt of family leisure (1.57), effects of mental health(1.50), and effects of physical health(1.43). The average grades for mental health service needs was 2.72 points. And the biggest part of mental health service needs was rehabilitation service(3.09), followed by social service(2.87), and Psychiatric medical service(2.21). Positive correlation showed between all parts of family burden. And, positive correlation showed between psychiatric medical service and interrupt of daily life(r=.281, p<.01), psychiatric medical service and effects of physical health(r=.355, p<.01), social service and effects of mental health(r=.213, p<.01).
CONCLUSION
The family burden for care giver of mental patients was related with all parts of family burden and mental health service needs of family. Thus, these results should be considered to reduce family burden for care giver of mental patients in community.