Post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of patients with schizophrenia following familial violence

The present study conducted in Japan aimed to clarify the relationship between violence directed towards parents by patients with schizophrenia and parents’ risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Questionnaire data from 353 parents were analyzed. In total, 84 of the 353 parents (23.8%) reported the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) score ≥ 25 (high-IES-R), indicative of a high risk of developing PTSD. The rate of high-IES-R scores was significantly higher among parents who had experienced an act of violence that was likely to result in severe injury by their adult child with schizophrenia (OR = 2.03; 95% CI 1.09–3.80; using “never experienced” as a reference) and in parents of patients who were hospitalized at the time of the survey (OR = 2.47; 95% CI 1.01–6.06; using “regularly visited a psychiatrist” as a reference). Therefore, parents experiencing violence by their adult child with schizophrenia are at a risk of developing PTSD. Parents of patients with schizophrenia, who are at a high risk of PTSD, are not usually provided the required support in Japan. To prevent violence and provide support for family members who may develop PTSD, it is necessary to establish crisis intervention programs, especially given the current emphasis on deinstitutionalization policy in Japan.