Peggy And Me

Schizophrenia is a devastating chronic and severe mental disorder that affects 26 million people worldwide and result in moderate to severe disability in 60% of the cases. Schizophrenia is among the most disabling and economically catastrophic mental disorders ranked by the WHO as one of the 10 illnesses contribute to global burden of diseases (WHO, 2012). Schizophrenia is equally stressful to the patients and the family caregivers. The family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia are in the cruel bondage of enduring stress due to the demanding needs of the chronic disorder and the cognitive impairment in the affected family member. Most of the time the stress of the family caregivers is poorly addressed and managed by mental health professionals, where they focus more on the care of mentally ill. The study highlights the significance of psychological interventions at the earliest in managing family care givers stress and thereby lowering the incidence rate of mentally ill persons in the future (Abdel etal, 2011). WHO's 'country project of support to people with schizophrenia' encourages the health care professionals to participate actively in supporting families with schizophrenia by developing a manual in local language for family intervention, raising the awareness about mental health problem and immediate care to 1500 families in terms of psycho educational interventions. WHO entrust the responsibility to all the mental health care professionals to educate the families on basic information about mental illness and empower them to solve their problems through effective communication and problem solving skills. The 10th Five Year Plan (2002-2007) emphasized deinstitutionalisation and community based basic mental health care focusing the unreached. The shift of custodial model to community care would undoubtedly contribute to the effective,