Physical Health Problems among Care Givers of Mentally Ill Patients

Context: Caring for a relative with a mental illness can be strenuous such caregivers can even be more burdened. Objectives: To assess the physical health problems among care givers of mentally ill patients and to determine the association between physical health problems and the selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among 30 caregivers of mentally ill patients admitted at Government Head Quarters Hospital, Erode. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data. The physical health problems among care givers of mentally ill patients were graded into three categories based on check list with dichotomous questions. Structured interview schedule was conducted by recruiting and enrolling the samples under inclusion criteria such as age between 30 and 60 years, both genders. Care givers who stayed temporarily were excluded from the research. Results: Out of 30 care givers of mentally ill patients 10(33.3%) had mild physical health problems, 18(60%) had moderate physical health problems and only 2(6.7%) had severe physical health problems. Association was found only with the occupation (8.99). Conclusion: The study revealed that caregivers of mentally ill patients suffer with physical health problems such as hair loss, muscle and joint pain, headache, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart attack, asthma, ulcer and insomnia.