• Hang Zhou, Fang Ma, Yi Zhang, Youqin Tan, Yangjuan Bai, Qiulan Hu, Wei Wei, and Yanjiao Wang.
• Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2022 Jan 1; 16: 2171-2179.

PurposeTo explore perceptions of antipsychotics associated side-effects among family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.Patients And MethodsA descriptive qualitative study was applied in a tertiary referral hospital in China. Purposeful sampling of 18 family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia were interviewed about their perceptions towards antipsychotics related side effects.ResultsAccording to content analysis, three themes emerged from the data: (a) nightmare in the treatment with the categories of sleep disturbances; physical impairment; appearance impairment; (b) opposite attitudes toward side-effect with the categories of being vigilant; do not care; (c) diverse ways of coping side-effects with the categories of asking for help from professionals; self-determined; try any quack's prescription.ConclusionThe side effects of antipsychotics not only damage the health of patients, but also increase the burden and stress of caregivers. However, caregivers have different attitudes and coping styles about the side effects of antipsychotics. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of individual background and cultural factors on caregivers' attitudes towards drug side effects. Furthermore, health professionals should also provide caregivers with knowledge about drug side effects, coping skills, and appropriate management strategies to promote health outcomes for people with schizophrenia.© 2022 Zhou et al.

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