Burden and coping styles among caregivers of patients with major mental disorders and hypertension attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background: Previous research on caregiver burden in Nigeria has focused mainly on caregivers of patients with mental disorders. None of these studies compared the level of burden among the caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders with caregivers of those with chronic medical illnesses. Furthermore, previous studies on caregiver burden in Nigeria did not examine the relationship between caregiver burden and coping style. Objectives: The objective of the study was to compare the level of burden and the coping styles used by the caregivers of patients with major mental disorders with that of caregivers of patients with hypertension, and also to determine any relationship between the caregiver burden and coping style. Methods: Four hundred caregivers were recruited from the psychiatry and cardiology clinics of a tertiary hospital. Psychiatric diagnosis was confirmed with the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Caregivers completed a semistructured sociodemographic questionnaire, the Zarit Burden Interview, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the level of burden experienced by the caregivers of patients with major mental disorders and hypertension. Overall, both groups of caregivers adopted similar coping styles except in the use of denial coping style, which was used significantly by caregivers of patients with major mental disorders. There was no significant relationship between the caregiver burden and coping style. Conclusions: This study found that caregivers of patients with major mental illnesses experienced a considerable burden than caregivers of patients with hypertension and also found that both groups of caregivers made use of similar coping styles.