Perceived Factors and Social Support of Caregivers of the Schizophrenics in Relation to Medication Behavior of the Schizophrenics in Rueso District Narathiwat Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to: 1) examine biosocial factors, caregivers' perceptions of schizophrenia, caregivers' social support, and medication adherence behaviors among patients with schizophrenia; 2) examine the level of medication adherence behaviors among patients with schizophrenia; and 3) investigate the relationships between caregivers' perceptions and social support and medication adherence behaviors among patients with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 150 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in RueSo District, Narathiwat Province, selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher. Content validity was assessed by experts, and the internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire subscales ranged from .80 to .82. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, with the significance level set at .05. The results revealed that:

The most caregivers were female (74.67%), aged 40–49 years (38.67%), married (76.67%), had completed primary education (62.00%), were parents of the patients (82.67%), and had a monthly income below 5,000 baht (62.66%).Overall perception toward schizophrenia and social support were at a moderate level (Mean=3.46 and 3.16, respectively), and medication adherence behavior was also at a moderate level (Mean=2.94). The factor most strongly associated with medication adherence was informational support (r=.41, p=.005), followed by access-to-healthcare support (r=.32, p=.002) and emotional support (r=.27, p=.003). In addition, perceived risk of relapse showed a low positive correlation with medication adherence (r=.13, p=.02).

 These findings highlight the importance of strengthening caregiver support systems, particularly informational and healthcare access support, to enhance medication adherence among patients with schizophrenia in community settings.