Progress for Patients
Honoring Caregivers of People Living with Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complex, chronic serious mental illness which affects approximately one percent of people living in the United States.1 As an organization with decades of experience working on behalf of patients living with complex psychiatric and neurological disorders, Alkermes is uniquely committed to raising awareness of the experiences of people living with schizophrenia as well as their families and loved ones. As we celebrate National Caregivers Day, we are proud to shine a light on the experiences of caregivers of people living with schizophrenia, based on recent survey data.
In 2025, we partnered with Caregiver Action Network, a leading nonprofit organization focused on supporting caregivers, to sponsor a survey of 492 respondents who self-identified as providing unpaid care or support to a family member or friend living with schizophrenia.2
Our shared goal for conducting this survey was to better understand the experience of caregiving, including perceptions around their loved ones’ treatment journey and the challenges and impacts of caregiving.
- Respondents of this survey provide a diverse range of supports to their loved ones specific to treatment and medications, including:
- Providing medication reminders (92%);
- Attending medical appointments (90%) and discussing treatment and medication options with healthcare providers (88%);
- Driving to/from medical appointments (86%); and
- Helping patients take medication (84%) and supporting treatment decisions (84%).
Specific to the treatment journey, respondents reported that their loved ones use a variety of schizophrenia medications, including oral antipsychotic medication (47%), long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication (39%) and mood stabilizers (45%), as well as medications to treat side effects of antipsychotic medications (50%).
Even with careful treatment planning and consideration, medication switching during treatment is common, with 60% of respondents reporting that patients have switched medication over the course of their treatment journey.
Caregiver responsibilities go far beyond specific management of the disease; they are also uniquely involved in supporting activities of daily living. More than 80% of respondents reported supporting daily hygiene activities, helping with housework and meal preparation, and providing emotional support.
In many ways, these data tell a striking story of the important role that caregivers may play for people living with schizophrenia. They also tell us that some aspect of our society’s view of the “distressed” or “isolated” caregiver may not paint a full picture. Respondents to this survey shared that, in addition to the challenges faced, providing sometimes has had positive impacts on some aspects of their lives:
- 59% of respondents believe that being a caregiver has had a positive impact on their ability to problem-solve or multi-task;
- A majority of respondents reported that providing care has improved their relationship with their loved one (55%) and other relationships with family, friends, peers or children (52%); and
- More than half of survey respondents reported that providing care has had a positive impact on their mental (51%) and physical (51%) health.
While these data cannot capture every caregiver experience, we hope their publication helps raise awareness of the diverse realities of caregiving. Alkermes remains committed to amplifying the voices of those affected by the conditions we work to address each day.
References:
2: The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) fielded the 10-minute online survey on behalf of Alkermes from August 21-24, 2025. Qualified respondents were over the age of 18. The health-care related survey received a total of 492 responses from individuals who responded affirmatively to a question about currently providing unpaid healthcare-related care or support to a family member or friend over the age of 18 who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Diagnoses tended to be fairly recent, with the majority (57%) occurring within the prior 2-5 years, and 8% coming within 0-1 year. Loved ones’ ages ranged from 18-64. Loved ones may have been diagnosed with other mental health conditions. Caregivers were primarily close family members of the person living with schizophrenia (including parent or stepparent, sibling, spouse or partner, child, or another type of immediate family member, such as an aunt or nephew) and the majority (74%) reported that their loved one lived with them. Raw data were not weighted and are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact mediainfo@alkermes.com.
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Last updated: February 2026