Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic health condition that poses unique challenges for patients and their family caregivers. This study assessed the association between caregiver burden, sociodemographic characteristics and psychological factors among family caregivers of older persons with schizophrenia.Methods: A mixed methods design was employed in this study. Three hundred and forty respondents were purposively selected to participate in the quantitative aspect of the survey, whereas 20 caregivers were purposively selected to participate in the qualitative phase. The Zarit Burden Interview Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to collect quantitative data from family caregivers, and qualitative data were collected through face‐to‐face, in‐depth interviews using a semi‐structured interview question guide. The qualitative responses were audio‐recorded and transcribed, and the cleaned transcribed data were transferred to Atlas.ti Scientific version 24 for coding the themes and subthemes. SPSS version 29 was used to analyse the cleaned, sorted and coded quantitative data at a statistically significant level of p ≤ 0.05.Results: The results showed that most family caregivers (60%) were female, aged between 17 and 64 years. Over half (52.6%) of the caregivers experienced severe caregiver burden. An ordinal logistic regression analysis to predict caregiver burden found that several factors were linked to lower caregiver burden, including older age (OR = 0.75, p = 0.042), certain living arrangements (OR = 0.51, p = 0.037) and longer caregiving duration (OR = 0.65, p < 0.001). In contrast, higher burden was strongly associated with depression (OR = 10.39, p < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 2.99, p < 0.001) and being married (OR = 1.65, p = 0.028). Qualitative findings revealed that caregivers experienced profound emotional distress, including anxiety and depression, and significant financial strain due to medication costs and transportation expenses. Qualitative interviews have highlighted emotional distress, financial strain and social isolation as core challenges.Conclusion: There is a need to provide psychological and social support for family caregivers of older persons with schizophrenia. The government should consider subsidising medication and care costs, similar to existing models for TB and HIV treatments in Nigeria.Implications for Practice: Family caregivers, especially women and those aged 53–64 years, experience a severe burden. Providing psychological support services, such as counselling and stress management, can help mitigate emotional distress.

Background: Loneliness is a public and social issue affecting older adults, but in varying degrees across ethnic groups. Black older adults (BOAs) are more prone to loneliness because they have unique and accumulated factors (e.g., low socioeconomic status, high number of chronic conditions) that predispose them to loneliness. This review aims to describe the extent and the nature of research activities on loneliness and identify the contributory factors to loneliness among BOAs as presented in the global literature. Methods/Design: We will follow the five steps of Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework to search multiple databases from inception till June 2021. MeSH terms and keywords, e.g., “older adults,” “blacks,” and “loneliness,” will be adopted for several databases, including CINHAL, Ageline, PsychINFO, Cochrane Central Registers of Control Trials, PubMed, Web of Science, Social Science Multiple reviewers will independently screen citations (title/abstract and full text) and extract data using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. “Best fit” framework synthesis using the six social provisions of Weiss’ framework as a priori themes will guide the data analysis. Discussion: This review will inform policy development around contributory factors for loneliness among BOAs and the most relevant issues on loneliness related to BOAs.

The chronic and severe nature of schizophrenia places a significant burden on caregivers. These include financial strain, lack of access to healthcare, and inadequate knowledge about illness. The study aimed to develop, and pilot test an intervention model to address the caregiver burden faced by families caring for elderly individuals with schizophrenia in Southwest Nigeria. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 340 caregivers via the Zarit Burden Interview and WHOQOL-BREF and qualitative insights from 20 in-depth interviews. Findings revealed a high caregiver burden, with 52.6% reporting a severe burden. Financial constraints and emotional stress were the key drivers. 34.4% reported frequent shortages of moderators such as social support. The Family Caregivers of Older People with Schizophrenia Model (FCOPSM), integrating psychoeducation, skills training, support groups, financial advocacy, and stigma reduction tailored to the Nigerian context, was guided by the design and development model and validated through an expert review with a Scale Content Validity Index of 0.96. Pilot testing with one psychiatric nurse and nine caregivers across two stages demonstrated feasibility, with caregivers reporting improved knowledge, stress management and reduced burden score (p < 0.05). The FCOPSM provides a preliminary, culturally tailored framework that may help empower family caregivers of older people with schizophrenia and health workers in managing caregiving burden. However, further validation is needed to assess scalability in resource-limited settings.