Caregivers' Burden in Patients With Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia and Its Relationship With Anxiety and Depression in Caregivers: A Narrative Review

Mental disorders affect a person's thinking, mood, and/or behaviour and can range in severity from minor to severe. Nearly one in five persons have a mental disease as stated by the National Institute of Mental Health. A serious mental illness called bipolar disorder causes extreme mood swings that can range from manic to depressive states. Schizophrenia is a brain condition that leads individuals to perceive reality differently. They cannot distinguish between what they are actually experiencing and what they are just imagining. Both illnesses have a variety of negative effects on the patient as well as the primary caregiver, who may be the patient's family or other relatives. In the case of a patient with mental illness, the family's role is crucial. Family members' long-term caregiving obligations may result in a caregiving burden that negatively impacts the caregivers' quality of life, career and personal relationships. Depression generally undermines carers' ability to fulfil their crucial supportive role towards their relative with a mental illness while contributing to their distress and handicap. Given the high prevalence of caregiver depression, it is critical to address this issue not just by creating therapies to treat caregiver depression once it has started, but also by preventing caregiver depression.