精神病忠照顧者負荷研究乃是精神醫療社會工作的重要領域，然而目前國內尚欠缺經過嚴謹信度與效度檢驗，且長度適用於實務界的照顧負荷量表；因此，在資源有限的情況下，工作人員缺乏工具協助判斷最需要幫助的病患照顧者。本研究的目的即參考國內現有的負荷量表，發展具有實務適用性的量表。研究樣本由北中南五家精神醫療單位的門診蒐集301位照顧者的資料，其中有59位於3-4週之後進行再測。透過完整的信度與效度檢驗之後，本研究發展出完整版的負荷量表26題(含正向題兩題)，另為增進實務運用之可能性，進一步發展出簡短版問題。兩個版本都具有良好的鑑別力、內在一致性、再測信度、因素效度及聚合建構效度，亦即這個量表能夠有效地測量病患的照顧者負荷，並具有穩定性與一致性。這個量表可適用於台灣地區社區病患的照顧者，並有常模提供實務工作者處遇計劃之參考，可增進工作人員評量的一致性與完整性，同時也可應用於未來的相關研究，有助於研究間的比較與研究結果之累積。

Caregiver burden has been an important aspect in psychiatric social work. However, in Taiwan there is a lack of a caregiver burden scale with sound psychometric properties and optimal length to help practitioners identify the caregivers who are most in need. This study aimed at developing a caregiver burden scale of this kind. Data were collected from five psychiatric units or hospitals in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. During outpatient visits, 301 caregivers were in­person interviewed. Among the caregivers, 59 were re-tested 3 to 4 weeks latter. Through comprehensive tests of reliability and validity, a 18-item caregiver burden scale was yielded. This scale has very good psychometric properties including internal reliability, test-retest reliability, factorial validity and convergent validity. With optimal length and norm, this scale is suitable for clinical usage to enhance the consistency and comprehensiveness of assessment. These scales can also be adopted in future studies to ensure measurement validity and make cross-study comparisons possible in the field of psychiatric services.