Abstract:
Background: Caregivers of individuals with bipolar mood disorder (BMD) experience
marked difficulties that affect their physical, psychological, social, and environmental
health. Despite these difficulties, few studies have been conducted in Bangladesh to
understand caregivers' health and social status.
Aim: To assess the perceived health and social status of the caregivers of patients with
BMD and determine the variables that predict their quality of life.
Method: This cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted at the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bangladesh. A total of 110 primary caregivers who
met specific inclusion criteria were recruited. Data were collected through structured
face-to-face interviews using the WHOQOL-BREF tool, as well as socio-demographic
and caregiving-related information. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were
used to evaluate associations between QoL and socio-demographic variables (SPSS
v21).
Results: Caregivers reported the poorest outcomes in the psychological domain of the
WHOQOL-BREF (mean = 44.84, SD = ±11.57). 79.1% of caregivers rated their quality
of life as “poor,” and 13.6% rated it as “very poor.” Physical (mean = 52.30, SD =
±12.64), social (mean = 59.88, SD = ±16.26), and environmental (mean = 53.08, SD =
±11.86) domains showed relatively better scores. Statistical analysis showed no
significant associations between QoL domains and age, gender, education, marital
status, occupation, caregiving duration, or external support (p > 0.05). However, a
significant difference was observed in the environmental domain based on geographic
location (urban vs. rural; p = 0.029), with urban caregivers reporting better outcomes.
Conclusion: Significant psychological and social challenges have been reported among
caregivers of BMD individuals in Bangladesh. Targeted interventions such as
psychoeducation, mental health support, and social resource provision are essential to
improving their QoL. Future research should investigate the longitudinal effects of such
programs and evaluate the efficacy of tailored interventions to support caregivers in
diverse settings.
Keywords: Bipolar Mood Disorder, caregivers, QoL, WHOQOL-BREF, mental
health, Bangladesh
Description:
This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Occupational therapy, Bangladesh Health Professions Institute, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.