Abstract: Objective To investigate the family burden of patients with severe mental illness. Methods 148 patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were assessed with Family Burden Scale of disease (FBS). Results Family burden broadly exists among those patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the burden tends to involve several dimensions, including family relations (51%), home entertainment (50%), daily routine (45%), economic burden (43%), mental health of family members (36%) and physical health of family members (32%). Conclusion Integrated psychological and social intervention should be made to reduce the family burden of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Key words: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, burden of disease, family burden