Physical and Mental Health Correlation: Quality of Life Assessment among Informal Caregivers of Patients with Mental Illness in South West Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study is to examine time dependence burden, emotional health burden, development burden, social relationship burden, physical health burdens and anxiety as correlates of physical and mental health – related quality of life among informal caregivers of patients with mental illness in South West Nigeria. Methods: In a hospital-based cross-sectional study, a convenient sample  275 (43% male and 57% female) informal caregivers currently involved in providing care, between ages 16 and 76 (M = 43.42, SD = 14.26) participated in the study. A preliminary analysis was carried out to examine relationship between the variables of the study using bivariate correlation analysis. Multiple regression analysis computed indicated that all predictor variables jointly contribute to physical and mental health - related quality of the informal caregivers. Results: The entire predictor variables jointly predict physical health – related quality of life among the informal caregivers [R² = .20, F (6, 268) =11.30; P<.01;] as well as mental health – related quality of life among the informal caregivers [R² = .37, F (6. 268), = 26.32: P< .01].   Independently, anxiety (β = -.17, P <.05) , development burden (β= .27, P<.01), and physical health burden (β = -.36, P<.01) predicted physical health-related quality of life, also anxiety (β = -.37, P< .01), time dependence burden (β = -.12, P <.01), development burden (β = .21, P < .05) and physical health burden (β = -.29, P < .01) independently predict  mental health – related quality of life. Conclusion: Informal caregivers must pay greater attention to their physical as well as mental health while providing care to their family members with mental illness, thus preventing themselves from developing psychological or physical illness that can prevent them from continuing in their roles as caregivers.