Subjective Burden of Caregivers of Demented Patients: Effects of Coping and Family Adaptability

Abstract: I tested a hypothesis that coping strategies with psychological stresses in home care and a cognition of family adaptability are associated with a subjective burden based on 31 family caregivers of patients with dementia. Caregivers who gave up home care felt a significantly higher burden and used more confrontative coping than those who did not. The caregivers, who recognized the family system as flexible, felt less burden than those who did as rigid. This study suggested that the subjective burden of caregivers of demented patients accounted for not only by the severity of dementia of patients but also by the confrontative coping and cognition of family system of the caregivers.