Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part B (2025)

Background: Hospitalization often exacerbates psychological distress, with depression, anxiety, and stress being highly prevalent among patients undergoing medical or surgical treatment along with their caregivers. Caregivers play a crucial role in supporting patients in both OPD and IPD settings but often experience unrecognized psychological distress. Understanding these mental health patterns across the caregivers of outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) settings is crucial for holistic healthcare delivery.

Objectives: This study investigates the prevalence, severity, and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress among caregivers of patients attending OPD versus IPD services, with subgroup analyses by gender, treatment type, and residential background.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 100 caregivers (50 OPD and 50 IPD) was conducted. Participants were equally distributed by gender (50 males, 50 females) and represented both urban (n = 59) and rural (n = 41) populations. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was used to assess psychological distress. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients.

Results: Caregivers of In-patients reported significantly higher distress compared to caregivers of out-patients across all domains. Total distress (M = 28.82 vs. 16.08, p<.001), depression (M = 9.08 vs. 4.74, p<.001), anxiety (M = 9.70 vs. 5.28, p<.001), and stress (M = 10.04 vs. 6.06, p<.001). No significant differences were found by gender, treatment type, or residence. Strong positive correlations were observed among depression, anxiety, and stress (r =.499-.592, p<.001).

Conclusion: Caregivers of IPD patients experience substantially higher psychological distress than caregivers of OPD patients, underscoring the need for routine mental health screening and psychosocial support in hospital settings. Integrating psychological services into caregivers o can improve outcomes and overall well-being.