# Assessing the Educational Needs of Family Caregivers of Psychiatric Patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

## TL;DR

This study explores what educational support family caregivers in Saudi Arabia need to better care for psychiatric patients.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific educational needs of caregivers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, offering insights for targeted psychoeducation programs.

## Key findings

- Family caregivers most want to learn about daily patient treatment and stress management.
- Caregivers showed least concern about hospital admissions and recent mental illness research.
- The study recommends hospitals provide care guidelines to improve caregiver preparedness.

## Abstract

Background

Family caregivers of psychiatric patients in Saudi Arabia and most of the Eastern world are suffering a big burden as a result of their caregiving role.

Aim

This study aims to assess the need for psychoeducation for family caregivers of psychiatric patients from outpatient clinics in a psychiatric hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted, which included a total of 379 family caregivers providing care to a patient suffering from a psychiatric illness.

Results

The majority of family caregivers looking after a patient suffering from a psychiatric illness were a brother or sister (20.8%), followed by a son or daughter (20.6%), and lastly, a spouse (10.3%). The top 10 important educational needs of the caregivers included their desire to know about the daily treatment of the patient, followed by how to improve social relationships, and a need for effective stress management. Family caregivers also showed interest in stress and illness. The caregivers' areas of least concern were about the admission of the patients to psychiatric hospitals, recent research on mental illnesses, and how to deal with weight gain.

Conclusion

The study showed that caregivers demonstrated a need for more experience in how to care for psychiatric patients. Indeed, this has an interrelated impact on the general well-being of both the patient and the caregiver. The study recommends the need for care guidelines to be provided by hospitals from the patient’s education department for caregiving to help the family in their daily care.