The Correlation Between the Level of Anxiety According to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale with the Duration of Illness, the Age of the Caregiver, and the Age of First Illness in the Biological Mother Who Takes Care of Boys with Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Caregivers are often described as forgotten patients, and adverse effects are often reported by family caregivers, including anxiety in treating schizophrenic patients. In most cases, it is the mother who takes almost all responsibilities for caring for the patient with schizophrenia. From another study, Mothers showed the highest-burden, followed by fathers and other caregivers. AIM: To find out the correlation between the level of anxiety according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) with the duration of illness, the age of the caregiver, and the age of first illness in the biological mother who take care of boys with schizophrenia METHODS: This study is an Observational Analytical study with a cross-sectional approach. By interviewing 68 mothers who take care of boys with schizophrenia at the Prof Ildrem Mental Hospital Medan using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A). RESULTS: This study found a significant association between the level of anxiety according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and the age of caregivers in biological mothers who care for boys with schizophrenia (p = 0.019), odds ratio (OR) 12,073 (95 %CI 2.252-64.715). This study also found no association between the level of anxiety according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and the duration of illness in the biological mother who cared for boys with schizophrenia (p = 0.736). There was no association between the level of anxiety according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) with age of first illness schizophrenia in the biological mother who cared for boys with schizophrenia (p = 0.068). CONCLUSION: Possibility (odds) is found that the age of caregiver < 45 years old is more likely to have anxiety level according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) 12,073 worse compared to the age of caregiver ≥ 45 years old.