Experiences of families living with a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia

Abstract

Mental illness has been identified as one of the major contributors to the global burden of disease in the world. The four leading causes of mental health disorders are depression, alcohol abuse, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Recent studies indicate that schizophrenia is among the major mental disorders affecting more than 21 to 29 million people in the world. Family members living and caring for a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia may experience burdensome challenges in such a way that can easily generate secondary stress in various life domains such as work and family relationships, loss of quality of life as well as high social and economic costs.