Cognitive behaviour therapy for caregiver burden in severe mental illness cases: An empirical analysis

Pages: 819-825
Vivek Kumar Jha (Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana)
Rati Khurana (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh)

The established role of caregivers is to be there for their loved one in their hard times and be able to provide for their specific needs. The task is such a tedious process that it may deplete whole lot of resources of the caregiver in every aspect like physical, emotional, financial and social. The literature aims to point out at the psychological hardships a caretaker goes through while looking after the patient, which includes, depression, anxiety, stress and so on. Lack of proper knowledge with the caregivers often leads to mismanaged guardianship which increases their stress and leaves them in despair. Hence, interventions like psycho education training and Traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy are being carried out to help the caregivers. Literature suggests that, Psycho education training shave empowered the lives of caregivers and 8 weeks of Traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Sessions have relieved the caregivers partially from stress, anxiety and depression. Though the aim of this research is to introduce a new intervention as an aid to the caregivers which is called the fourth wave of CBT, i.e., Positive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The biggest gaps evident from the literature are that positive CBT hasn’t been used yet. It is believed that this therapy would help caregivers not only reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress but would be a positive reinforcement to their well-being. Positive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy aims at helping individual’s builda more ideal future for them, where they would likely be happy to see themselves. As Bannink believes that the aim of therapy should not only be reduction of symptoms but making clients work towards a brighter future which reduces the rate of relapse.