Relationship of Cognitive Emotional Regulation Strategies with Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Caregivers of Persons with Schizophrenia: A Hospital –Based Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression are common in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. There is a role of underlying cognitive emotional regulation in the caregivers that leads to the experience of these mental health issues in them. Methodology: A total of 190 caregivers along with their patients were enrolled into the study. Scales like GAD-7, PHQ-9, PSS and cognitive emotional regulation questionnaire (CERQ) were used to assess the anxiety, depression, stress and cognitive emotional regulation in the caregivers. Results and Discussion: The mean scores of GAD-7, PHQ-9 and PSS were 6.05 (SD= 4.27), 6.09 (SD = 4.69) and 16.51 (SD =7.27) respectively. The adaptive strategies like positive reappraisal, refocus on planning significantly correlated most and were protective for above mental health problems while maladaptive strategies like catastrophizing and others- blame correlated most and their increase use lead to poor mental health outcome. With increase in age the use maladaptive strategies decreased while marital status of the caregiver also had a significant bearing on the use of strategies like catastrophizing and others- blame. Acceptance appears to be maladaptive in the caregivers though conventionally it thought to be an adaptive emotional regulation strategy.