Background. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder affecting the way people think, feel, and act. This type of disorder is severe as patients suffer from reality contact loss. Schizophrenic patients usually are limited in daily function and working ability thus making them unproductive and needing assistance to fulfill their daily needs. Approximately 70% of people suffering from schizophrenia in Asia live with and depend on their family. Usually, there is a main caregiver in each family that overseeing the need fulfillment of its schizophrenic member. Caregivers have great role and responsibility toward people with schizophrenia such as doing their daily activities, communicating with patients, administering the medications, managing the behavior problem of the patients, managing the finances, and taking care of patients’ basic needs. They also facing stigmatization of their surrounding environment toward people with schizophrenia.    Living with people who suffered mental illness is very stressful. If not properly managed, the stress can lead to caregiver burden. Caregiver burden is the burden bear by individual who provide assistance to family members who have chronic illness, in this case schizophrenia. Studied found family with low-income status tend to experience high caregiver burden because they do not have sufficient resources such as financial aid, knowledge, and skill. One way to manage caregiver burden is through psychoeducation. The focus of psychoeducation is improving the caregiver knowledge pertaining the disorders, facilitating communication patterns, problem solving, increasing coping strategies and encouraging families to actively engage in social activities. The psychoeducation can facilitate the lack of knowledges and skills for caregiver. However, there is a lack of documented intervention in managing caregiver burden, particularly in low income people in Indonesia. Thus, this study aimed to employ psychoeducation for schizophrenia caregivers in order to manage their caregiver burden.

Methods. This study consisted of three participants, all female (average 50 years old), with low-income status. All participants individually joined the psychoeducation program, consisting of seven sessions, namely: assessment, psychoeducational of disorder, self-care, how to reducing stress, communicating within family, termination and follow-up. Each session lasted around 1-1,5 hours. Pre-test, post-test and a-two-weeks follow-up-test were administered. Quantitative data was obtained by using Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Hopkins Symptom Checklist-22 (HSCL-22), and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) while qualitative data was obtained by interview and observation.

Results. Quantitative data indicated a decrease of caregiver burden and psychological distress at the conclusion of the intervention compared to pre-intervention. Qualitative data showed that participants can better understand how to cope with patients, reduce stress, and take care of themselves at the end of the intervention. Participants reported that they felt the intervention helped because they learn the importance of taking care of themselves as well as learning new skills to manage the caregiver burden.

Conclusion. Based on the results, it can be concluded that psychoeducation can help schizophrenia caregiver to manage the caregiver burden. Flexibility in conducting the session is also important for caregiver from the low-income family.

Added-Values. The study showed that psychoeducation, given few modifications during the sessions, can be given to schizophrenia caregiver with low income status.

Keywords: Psychoeducation, caregiver burden, schizophrenia, low income, psychology

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