Worries, willingness to pay, and illness symptom perception among the caregivers of patients suffering from schizophrenia

Background/Objectives: Caregiving in schizophrenia is a challenging responsibility. Our study was designed to understand future concerns, willingness to pay (WTP), and key distress symptoms perceived among the caregivers of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Methodology: The study included 60 primary caregivers for those suffering from schizophrenia. Participants were enrolled after taking their informed consent. The duration of this cross-sectional, observational study was 6 months. Results: The mean age of caregivers was 53.42 ± 12.38 and that of patients was 49.77 ± 13.69. Female caregivers were more in comparison of male caregivers. The most distressing symptom reported was suspiciousness of the patient (40% of the caregivers). It was followed by the need for compliance with treatment and increasing demands of care (31.7% each). Nearly a third (28.3%) of caregivers expressed WTP 100% of their capital as a response to the question for hypothetical cure for schizophrenia. We found borderline correlation ( P = 0.045) between WTP and higher severity of schizophrenia symptoms, being unemployed and being the married partner as the caregiver. Conclusion: The study adds to literature on the burden perceived by caregivers. It makes us aware of the most difficult symptoms to deal for caregivers and gives an insight in financial/WTP domains. Understanding these stressors and the financial concerns conveys an unmet need for better support systems and polices that could reduce the stress on the caregivers. Future research should be done to explore various interventions so that it can assess the effectiveness in reducing the caregiving burden and stress by caregivers.