The Comparison of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety Scores between Female Caregivers of People with Schizophrenia According to Gender Difference

BACKGROUND: Caregiver plays an important role for a better outcome in people with schizophrenia, although it usually causes emotional distress for the caregiver. Anxiety is one of the emotional distress. Gender of schizophrenic patients is associated with the emotional distress of caregiver. The differences in HADS-A scores between female caregivers of people with schizophrenia according to gender in Indonesia remain unclear. AIM: To determine whether HADS-A scores are higher in a male group compare with the female group. METHODS: This study was an analytical study with a cross-sectional approach to determine the comparison of HADS-A score between 27 female caregivers of male schizophrenic patients (male group) and 27 female caregivers of female schizophrenic patients (female group) in Prof. Dr M. Ildrem Mental Hospital Medan, using a HADS rating scale. RESULTS: There is no difference between the male and female group in caregivers age, marital status, employment status, family income/month, education time, the relationship with people with schizophrenia, caring time, time spent / weeks, and the patients age, employment status, education time, PANSS score and number of relapses. The comparison between total HADS-A score between the male group and the female group is not significant with 9.52 ± 4.90 v 8.70 ± 4.49 (p = 0.53). CONCLUSION: HADS-A scores are not higher in caregivers of male with schizophrenia compared with caregivers of a female with schizophrenia.