Does improvement in symptoms and quality of life in chronic schizophrenia reduce family caregiver burden?

The longitudinal association of changes in clinical status among adults with schizophrenia and changes in family caregiver burden has not been demonstrated. Using data from the NIMH-funded CATIE schizophrenia trial (n = 446 family caregivers), we examined the association of changes in patient symptoms and quality of life with changes in measures of family caregiver burden. Clinical changes in patient symptoms and quality of life were not significantly associated with changes in family caregiver burden. The weak association likely reflects that small clinical changes in chronically ill adults are insufficient to affect long established experiences of burden.