WHO CARES FOR PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA? SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMARY CAREGIVERS IN A NIGERIAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Caregivers play a critical role in the long-term management of patients withschizophrenia, yet the sociocultural and demographic determinants shaping their experiencesremain underexplored in many low-resource settings. This study aimed to assess the pattern ofsociodemographic characteristics of primary caregivers of outpatients with schizophrenia in aNigerian tertiary hospital. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed, and 244 eligibleprimary caregivers were recruited (October 2022 to January 2023). Data were collected using astructured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics and caregiving commitments,while the Psychotic Module of MINI-Plus (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) wasused to re-validate schizophrenia diagnosis in care recipients. Caregivers were aged 20–63 yearswith a mean of 44.7 ± 12.0 years. Almost two-thirds (65.2%) were at least 40 years old, about half(46.7%) had a tertiary level of education, and the majority (89.3%) were occupationally engaged.A total of 15.6% had provided care for more than 60 months, and over a quarter (26.2%) committed36 hours or more per week in the caregiving role. While 41.0% provided care for persons withwhom the kinship duration was over 30 years, 61.1% were either parents or siblings. Nearly three-fifths (59.8%) financed patients