Depression and caregiver burden experienced by caregivers of Jordanian patients with stroke

Many stroke survivors will be cared for at home, primarily by their relatives. Providing care to a family member with a chronic disabling disease can be both emotionally and physically distressing for the caregivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between patients' characteristics, duration of caregiving, daily caregiving time, caregiver's characteristics, caregiver depression and burden in caregivers of patients with stroke. A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 116 subjects. The Center of Epidemiologic Studies of Depression and the Caregiver Strain Index were used to identify caregiver depression and burden, respectively. Logistic regression analysis identified the influence of independent variables on caregiver depression and caregiver burden. Caregivers had high scores for depression and burden indices. Caregivers' health, receiving professional home health care and caregivers' burden were related to caregiver depression. Functional disabilities of patients with stroke and depression of caregivers were related to caregiver burden. To decrease caregiver depression and burden, nurses must provide caregivers with instructions for home management of patients with stroke. Development of specialized stroke home health services in Jordan that targets patients with stroke and their caregivers are recommended.     

Examining spiritual support among African American and Caucasian Alzheimer's caregivers: A risk and resilience study

Research shows African Americans at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to the Caucasian population, suggesting African American AD caregivers are rising in numbers at a greater rate than Caucasian counterparts. Over a decade ago, an article in Geriatric Nursing revealed spiritual well-being differences among these caregiver groups. The purpose of this study was a quasi-follow-up, utilizing a larger caregiver sample to test spiritual support as a moderator via a risk-and-resilience framework. Secondary data analysis from a sample of 691 AD caregivers examined data on demographics and standardized measures of spiritual support, caregiver burden, and psychological resilience. One-third of the sample reported as African American. Resilience negatively regressed, though not significantly, on caregiving burden among both groups. Spiritual support positively, significantly impacted resilience among both groups, slightly stronger among African Americans. Spiritual support did not significantly moderate risk with either group. Implications for professional healthcare practice are discussed.     

胃癌术后患者家庭照顾者负担及其影响因素分析

目的探讨胃癌术后患者家庭照顾者所承受的负担及其影响因素。方法对102名胃癌术后患者家庭照顾者进行问卷调查。结果胃癌术后患者家庭照顾者心理、社会方面的负荷较大。多元线性回归分析显示,照顾者负荷状况与患者病程分期、照顾者与患者的社会关系有关。结论应重视胃癌术后患者家庭照顾者的负担,采取有效的信息支持,进行居家照顾专题培训,以减轻照顾者负担。     

Vigilance. Evolution and definition for caregivers of family members with Alzheimer''s disease

The language of caregiving relies heavily on terms that are frequently negative such as caregiver stress and burden, but these are not universally accepted phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to report on the development of caregiver vigilance and to suggest it offers both neutral terminology and a means to include caregivers' perceptions of their supervisory role. The concept of vigilance emerged from a qualitative study of caregivers of family members with Alzheimer's disease. Vigilance is defined as the caregivers' continual oversight of their care recipients' activities. The five key components of vigilance were watchful supervision, protective intervening, anticipating, always on duty, and being there. Vigilant caregivers saw themselves as "on duty" even when they were not "doing things." The findings of this study support caregivers' perceptions of 24-hour-a-day responsibility. Nurses need to realize that caregiver vigilance is not necessarily diminished when professional caregivers intervene or institutionalization occurs. Debriefing caregivers about their unique family caregiving knowledge and incorporating it into caregiving is a key strategy for nurses to use to build caregiver trust and reduce their vigilance time.     

Family caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia: An integrative review

ObjectivesThe purpose of this integrative review is to: (1) identify the characteristics of family caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia, (2) explore the impact of providing care on family caregivers’ health and well-being, and (3) identify coping strategies used by family caregivers.BackgroundFrontotemporal dementia is thought to be the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Family caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia face unique challenges due to its early onset, behavioral symptoms, and slow progression of decline. However, there is a dearth of research evaluating the health and wellbeing of family caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia.Design and data sourcesAn integrative review was conducted using the Whittemore and Knafl methodology. An electronic search of the literature was conducted using four electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The Crowe Critical Appraisal tool was used to evaluate the quality of the selected articles.ResultsFindings of 11 articles informed this integrative review. Family caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia identify behavioral disturbances as most troubling. Spouses and female caregivers experience greater caregiver burden, distress, increased rates of depression, as well as decreased sleep related to behavior disturbances. Though less explored, providing care to those with behavioral disturbances may also impact caregiver physical health. Additionally, female caregivers are most likely to employ coping strategies, most commonly, adaptation and reframing. Effective interventions to reduce family caregiver burden are poorly understood but family caregivers suggest education and internet-based support groups are most helpful.ConclusionsFamily caregivers of patients with frontotemporal dementia experience significant distress, which impacts their health and wellbeing. It is important for healthcare providers who care for patients with frontotemporal dementia to recognize the unique needs of family caregivers. Future research should focus on examining interventions and strategies to reduce caregiver burden.     

Modifiable factors associated with caregiver burden among family caregivers of terminally ill Korean cancer patients

Purpose

Higher caregiver burden is associated with poor quality of life among family caregivers. However, in Korea, very few studies have examined factors associated with caregiver burden. The present study investigated factors associated with caregiver burden among family caregivers of terminally ill Korean cancer patients, particularly modifiable factors as a potential target of intervention strategies.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires was performed. Sixty-four family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients who were admitted to the hospice-palliative care unit of a university hospital in South Korea were included. To identify caregiver burden, the Caregiver Reaction Assessment scale (CRA) was used in this study. Time spent in providing care per day, number of visits per week from other family members, family functioning, and a positive subscale, self-esteem, of the CRA were deemed as modifiable factors. Other sociodemographic, caregiving characteristics of the subjects were non-modifiable factors.

Results

Longer time spent providing care per day, fewer weekly visits from other family members, poor family functioning, and low self-esteem were considered as modifiable factors associated with caregiver burden. Low monthly income and the spouse being the family caregiver were non-modifiable factors.

Conclusions

Our study has practical significance in that it identifies modifiable factors that can be used to devise intervention strategies. Developing and applying such intervention strategies for alleviating the factors associated with high caregiver burden could be important for improving the quality of life of both patients and their families.     

Can burdened caregivers be effective facilitators of elder care‐recipient health care?

BACKGROUND: Caregiving by informal family caregivers of dependent older people in the community may be affected by burden and by the personal and social resources available to the caregiver. Given the increase in the dependent older population, study of factors affecting informal caregiving is necessary. AIMS: To examine caregiver resources, burden and competence as predictors of health-care facilitation on behalf of older patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data were collected by an interview schedule from 240 randomly sampled spousal and filial caregivers in Jerusalem. Study variables included caregiver background variables, general self-concept and feelings of caregiver competence, informal and formal social support, burden and levels of health-care facilitation. Path analysis was performed to clarify the direct and indirect predictors of health-care facilitation. RESULTS: Caregiver facilitation of health-care was positively related both to the presence of personal and social resources and to burden levels. The results suggest that quality caregiving can coexist with burden, provided that ample caregiver resources are present. The most important resources were caregiver sense of competence and support from the professional health-care provider. DISCUSSION: Caregiving burden is not readily reducible, given the chronic nature of older people's health problems. However, caregiver resources can be bolstered, particularly by health professionals. Nurses, who are orientated to holistic family centred care, are especially well-suited for this important intervention.     

The relationship between comorbidities in dementia patients and burden on adult–child primary caregivers: Does having a secondary caregiver matter?

Primary family caregivers of patients with dementia often experience high caregiver burden and significant decline in a range of health outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between medical comorbidities of inpatients with dementia and caregiver burden in adult–child primary caregivers, and the buffering effect of having a secondary caregiver on the relationship between patients’ comorbidities and caregiver burden. The study is a secondary analysis of data from a cross‐sectional observational study design. The sample comprised 477 dyads of inpatients with dementia and adult–child primary caregivers attending the neurological department of two grade A hospitals. All the inpatients were assessed with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). All the adult–child primary caregivers were assessed with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and completed the questionnaires on socio‐demographic data, caring hours, presence of secondary caregiver, and the level of impairment of the patient. Higher burden was associated with higher scores on the CCI and having a spouse of the patient as the secondary caregiver. A significant interaction occurred between the CCI and caregiver burden when having a spouse as the secondary caregiver, indicating the negative effect of the CCI on caregiver burden was greater when the spouse of the patient served as the secondary caregiver. In summary, the negative impact of patients’ comorbidities on caregiver burden in adult–child primary caregivers was heightened when the secondary caregiver role was undertaken by the spouse of the patient with dementia. These results may inform programmes targeted to improve care arrangements for people with dementia and their caregivers.     

The relationship between caregiver burden, caregivers' perceived health and their sense of coherence in caring for elders with dementia

Aim. The aim of this study is to examine associations between caregiver burden, perceived health and sense of coherence in family caregivers to persons with dementia living at home. Background. Most of the studies on family caregivers have focused on burden and morbidity. However, the caregiver's sense of coherence and perceived health have not been studied earlier in relation to caregiver burden. Design. A cross‐sectional investigation design was used. Methods. Older persons, 2238 subjects, with any form of social services, were invited to an assessment of cognitive capacity. Those who had cognitive decline (255) were invited for a medical examination and 130 persons were diagnosed as having dementia. The family caregivers to persons with dementia answered a questionnaire including a caregiver burden scale, the Nottingham health profile scale, sense of coherence scale and the Euroqol instrument. Results. The family caregivers experienced moderate burden, and strong associations were noted between burden, especially isolation, disappointment and emotional involvement with perceived health and sense of coherence, adjusted for age and relationship. Caregivers with lower burden reported significantly better perceived health and higher mean score of sense of coherence than caregivers with higher burden. Conclusions. Assessment of status of family caregivers of persons with dementia living at home seems to be gaining considerable importance. The caregiver burden scale and the sense of coherence scale seem to be highly useful for identifying carers at risk of stress, pattern of burden and coping strategies. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses can help family caregivers to identify their negative experiences about caregiving and can help them reflect upon their coping strategies to find balance in their situation. Risk groups of caregivers may be identified, especially those with low perceived health and sense of coherence, for early interventions to reduce burden.     

Factors associated with high strain in caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Malaysia

A cross-sectional study design involving a total of 230 participants, recruited through Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM), was adopted to access and correlate caregiver strain index (CSI) and resilience (RES) levels of the AD caregivers with various patients’ and caregivers’ factors. Findings revealed that 77.7% of caregivers had a high level of stress, and there was a significant negative correlation between RES and CSI (P < 0.001). Care recipients’ physical function was negatively associated with CSI level. Caregivers’ gender and employment status were not directly associated with CSI but were significantly associated with caregivers’ RES level. Among the mediator variables, years of care was related to increase CSI and adult-children of AD patients experienced a higher level of caregiver strain compared to the other caregiver groups (P = 0.025). Thus, interventions to improve the family caregivers’ RES level, and support for AD patients will be helpful in lowering the strains of AD caregivers.     

Relationships between family resilience,breast cancer survivors’ individual resilience,and caregiver burden: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundCaregivers of breast cancer survivors experience various types of burden, which in turn is linked to patients’ physical and psychological status. Family resilience might be able to decrease caregiver burden and facilitate survivors’ individual resilience, and individual resilience might be related to caregiver burden. Nevertheless, these relationships have not yet been confirmed.ObjectiveTo determine the relationships between family resilience, breast cancer survivors’ resilience, and principal caregivers’ caregiver burden, as well as determine whether breast cancer survivors’ individual resilience plays a mediating role in the relationship between family resilience and caregiver burden.DesignCross-sectional study design.SettingThe comprehensive cancer center of a public hospital in Shandong Province, China.ParticipantsThe sample comprised 108 dyads of early-stage breast cancer survivors and their principal caregivers.MethodsThe principal caregivers completed the Shortened Chinese Version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale and the Chinese Version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview, while the breast cancer survivors completed the 10-item Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and provided their sociodemographic information. The mediating effect of individual resilience was estimated using the bootstrap method via IBM SPSS Amos 21.0.ResultsCaregiver burden was significantly negatively associated with both family resilience and breast cancer survivors' individual resilience (both p < .01). Furthermore, individual resilience mediated the relationship between family resilience and caregiver burden (b = −0.052; 95% confidence interval: −.412, −.036).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that both family resilience and breast cancer survivors’ individual resilience may ease caregiver burden among the principal caregivers of breast cancer survivors, and family resilience tends to promote the survivors’ individual resilience. Therefore, family resilience and survivors’ individual resilience should be enhanced for breast cancer survivors and their family to ease the principal caregivers’ caregiver burden.     

脑卒中患者家庭主要照顾者负荷及其影响因素分析

目的 研究脑卒中患者家庭主要照顾者负荷及其影响因素,并探讨相应的护理对策.方法 采用问卷调查法.采用照顾者负荷量表(Caregiver Burden Inventory,CBI)对56例脑卒中患者家庭主要照顾者进行调查.结果 脑卒中患者家庭主要照顾者负荷的总体水平为中等水平(1.55±0.35)分;影响照顾者负荷的因素有ADL指数、参与照顾人数、患者住院次数.结论 护理人员应通过对患者系统的康复指导和教育,减轻卒中后遗症的严重程度和减少再入院次数,增强患者的家庭支持,从而减轻照顾者的负荷,提高其身心健康水平.     

1型糖尿病患者主要照顾者负担水平与其社会支持状况的相关性研究

目的：调查1型糖尿病（T1DM）患者照顾者负担水平与社会支持状况及两者相关性。方法：采用一般资料问卷、照顾者负担量表及社会支持评定量表对65例T1DM患者照顾者进行问卷调查。结果：T1DM患者照顾者负担总分为（33.0±14.9）分,仅13.8%的照顾者无照顾负担;社会支持总分为（35.6±6.6）分,绝大多数（95.4%）照顾者社会支持尚未达到高水平。总社会支持水平与总负担及负担各维度呈显著负相关（P〈0.05）;主观支持维度与总负担及负担各维度呈显著负相关（P〈0.05）;客观支持维度与总负担及角色负担维度呈显著负相关（P〈0.05）。结论：T1DM患者照顾者普遍存在不同程度的照顾负担,社会支持多处于中低水平;所获社会支持程度越高,感知的照顾者负担越轻。护理人员应给予照顾者恰当的社会家庭支持及相关知识的指导,减轻其身心负担,使其能更有效地承担照顾患者的责任,优化患者疾病控制情况。     

脑卒中患者主要照顾者的负担和应对方式及其相关性分析

目的探讨脑卒中患者的主要照顾者的负担水平与应对方式以及二者的相关性。方法采用Zarit照顾者负担量表和简易应对方式问卷调查120位脑卒中患者的主要照顾者。结果脑卒中患者的主要照顾者的负担总分（39．54±13．88）分,86．7％的照顾者负担处于轻、中度水平;照顾者多采取积极应对方式应对负担,偶尔也采取消极应对方式;负担与积极应对方式呈负相关,与消极应对方式呈正相关,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。结论脑卒中患者的主要照顾者普遍存在不同程度的照顾负担,脑卒中患者主要照顾者的负担与其应对方式密切相关,护理工作者应正确引导照顾者采取适当的应对方式,减轻照顾负担。     

老年性痴呆患者亲属照料负担与心理健康的相关性分析

目的；了解老年性痴呆患者家庭照料者的照料负担和心理健康状况，提高患者的家庭照料质量和延缓疾病进程，为社区心理卫生服务提供目标依据。方法；采用自编一般情况问卷表、照料负担量表（BCS）、照料者生活变化问卷及90项症状清单量表（SCL-90）对275例老年性痴呆患者的家庭照料者进行问卷调查。结果：共216位照料者接受调查。BCS及照料者生活变化问卷测评显示，老年性痴呆患者的照料负担依次为经济负担〉心理健康〉家庭生活〉家庭关系〉躯体健康〉家庭活动。SCL-90测评显示照料者心理健康水平均有不同程度下降，且照料负担与SCL-90总分呈正相关性，提示家庭照料负担越重，对照料者心理健康影响越大。结论；医生应帮助照料者认识该病，了解照料技巧，适应生存环境及改善其负性心理；同时加强对社区内老年性痴呆疾病的健康宣教，提高收治率，以解决照料者的后顾之忧。