Experiences of relatives of schizophrenic people

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of family members of the person with schizophrenia. Descriptive-qualitative study conducted at a Psychosocial Care Center in Teresina - Piauí. A semi-structured interview script was used and content analysis was carried out in the light of Bardin’s theoretical framework. The results revealed that the family members suffer profound physical and emotional exhaustion resulting from the exercise of the care of the person with schizophrenia and experience significant conflicts in the daily living, compromising the quality of life and the social and psychic functioning of those who exercise the role of caregiver. The study points to the need to develop care strategies for the client-caregiver binomial.