Psychological Distress Among Latino Family Caregivers of Adults With Schizophrenia: The Roles of Burden and Stigma
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Little research has focused on the mental health of Latino caregivers with a relative with schizophrenia, despite data showing that up to three-quarters of Latino persons with schizophrenia live with their families. This study examined the relation between caregivers' mental health and perceived burden and stigma and characteristics of the patient and caregiver. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in the language of preference (Spanish or English) in Wisconsin, California, and Texas with 85 Latinos caring for an adult with schizophrenia. Measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, the Zarit Burden Scale, and the Greenley Stigma Scale. RESULTS: General population studies of Mexican Americans have found that between 12% and 18% meet the cutoff for being at risk of depression; however, 40% of the sample met this criterion. Younger caregiver age, lower levels of caregivers' education, and higher levels of the patients' mental illness symptoms were predictive of higher levels of caregivers' depressive symptoms. Caregivers' perceived burden mediated the relation between patients' psychiatric symptoms and caregivers' depression. Caregivers' perceived stigma was significantly related to caregivers' depressive symptoms, even when the analyses statistically adjusted for psychiatric symptoms and demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of depressive symptoms among Latino families caring for a relative with schizophrenia suggest that interventions should include attention to the mental health and recovery of family caregivers in addition to the patient's recovery. Younger Latino caregivers and those with lower levels of education are particularly at risk of depression.
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Relatives who live with patients with severe mental disorders present high levels of psychological distress.
“Los familiares que conviven con el paciente presentan altos niveles de 'malestar psicológico'”
From Intervención psicológica grupal, basada en la aceptación y el entrenamiento en comunicación, con familiares de personas con trastorno mental grave (2015) · cites this paper as Magaña et al., 2007
The Discussion reports that 40% of the Latino family caregivers studied were at risk of depression, and the Conclusions state that three-quarters lived with the patient. The paper does not report distress specifically for those who lived with the patient, and its sample concerned relatives with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder rather than severe mental disorders generally. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredRelatives of patients with severe mental disorders usually present milder symptoms, 'psychological distress', without meeting criteria for anxiety or depression diagnosis.
“estos familiares suelen presentar síntomas más leves, 'malestar psicológico' (Madianos et al., 2004; Magaña et al., 2007), sin llegar a cumplir, la mayoría de las veces, los criterios para un diagnóstico de trastorno de ansiedad o depresión”
From Intervención psicológica grupal, basada en la aceptación y el entrenamiento en comunicación, con familiares de personas con trastorno mental grave (2015) · cites this paper as Magaña et al., 2007
The Measures and Preliminary and descriptive analyses sections assess caregivers’ depressive symptoms and report that 40% of the Latino caregivers scored above the CES-D cutoff for elevated symptoms. This supports the reference to psychological distress, but the paper does not establish that caregivers’ symptoms were generally mild or that most did not meet diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression; it did not assess those diagnoses. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Magaña, S. M., Ramírez García, J. I., Hernández, M. G., & Cortez, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- ORCID
- Magaña, Sandy M.
- Venue
- Psychiatric Services
- Published
- 2007-03
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 378-384
- ISSN
- 0022-1597 (ISSN-L)
- 1075-2730
- 1557-9700
- PMC
- PMC2396526
- OpenAlex
- W2129976458
- Cited by
- 260
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 11.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychiatric Services (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 14584, R01MH055928, T32MH014584)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Keywords
- Latino caregivers, family caregivers, schizophrenia, caregiver depression, psychological distress, caregiver burden, stigma, depressive symptoms, Mexican Americans, caregiver age, caregiver education
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schizophrenia, Stereotyping, Caregivers, Cost of Illness
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