Page numbers not for citations purposes 1 Provisional PDF Published May 31, 2010 Research, Volume 5, issue 16, 2010 The burden experienced by family caregivers of patients with epilepsy attending the government psychiatric hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria Folorunsho Tajudeen Nuhu 1,& , Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf 2 , Akinsola Akinbiyi 3 , Joseph Oluyinka Fawole 4 , Obafemi Joseph Babalola 1 , Zainab Titilope Sulaiman 1 , Olaniyi Oyeniran Ayilara 1 1 Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna. Nigeria, 2 Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria, 3 Mercy Mental Health 117-129 Warring Crescent, Horpers crossing 3029 Australia, 4 Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital, Abuja. Nigeria & Corresponding author Dr Folorunsho T. Nuhu, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna, Tel: + 2348056073975, + 2348060465845, Nigeria Abstract BACKGROUND: Caring for patients with chronic medical and psychiatric disorders is associated with significant burden. However little is known about the burden experience by caregivers of patients with epilepsy in Nigeria. The objective of this study, therefore, was to assess the level and correlates of burden among caregivers of patients with epilepsy. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study carried out among 231 eligible caregivers of patients with epilepsy attending the psychiatric clinic of government psychiatric hospital in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Socio-demographic/clinical characteristics of patients and socio- demographic characteristics of caregivers were recorded, and the Zarit Burden Interview administered to caregivers to assess their experience of burden. RESULTS: The mean age of the caregivers was 43.6 ± 9.5