Disease burden and associated factors in caregivers of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the leading causes of disability and poor quality of life, with impairment in many areas. It can also adversely affect family members and friends that the person lives with, and this results in a burden. We aimed to evaluate the disease burden in caregivers of patients with OCD and the factors that negatively affect caregiver burden. Method: The study population consisted of 94 patients with OCD and their caregivers. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Brief Form were filled out by the patients, and the Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) by the caregivers. Results: Longer duration of treatment, higher YBOCS obsession and compulsion scores of the patients, and lower environmental quality of life dimension scores of the patients were found to increase the BAS scores of the caregivers. Additionally, these variables were found to be significant predictors for disease burden (BAS score) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our study revealed that many variables affect burden, even in caregivers who have no extra burden (who has no disease to cause a burden). Caregivers of patients with OCD should be included in the behavioral and pharmacologic treatment process for the benefit of both the OCD treatment management and the protection of family health.