Abstract
BACKGROUND: The caregiver burden in psychiatric illness is profound. However, the burden on spouses of patients with ADS remains a quest for medical research. The present study was done to assess the caregiver (wives) burden in a group of patients suffering from ADS as compared with that of schizophrenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in the psychiatric ward. A detailed comparative assessment was done between the caregiver burden and quality of life of wives whose spouses were diagnosed with schizophrenia and alcohol dependence syndrome. RESULT: The average burden perceived by spouses in schizophrenia was 77.69% ±1.51 across all domains as compared with spouses of an alcohol group (78.39 ± 1.69). Factors related to high burden and low quality of life among wives of the alcoholic group were found to be residing in rural areas, living in nuclear families, critical in-laws and noncooperative family members, severely abused, and having two or more children. DISCUSSION: The caregiver burden in the spouse of a male ADS is comparable with the burden of the spouse of schizophrenia. Spouses (wives) of addicts need more appreciation and support from the other family members mostly in-laws.