A disease-specific psychosocial questionnaire for Parkinson's disease caregivers

To evaluate the "Belastungsfragebogen Parkinson Angehörigen-kurzversion" (BELA-A-k), a questionnaire for measuring psychosocial problems and need for help in Parkinson's disease (PD) caregivers.

The "Belastungsfragebogen Parkinson Angehörigen-kurzversion" was translated into Dutch. It consists of 15 items with a "Bothered by" (Bb) and a "Need for Help" (NfH) score. The BELA-A-k was tested for cultural differences, relevance and feasibility in a pilot (n = 10). We determined the psychometric properties in a validation study (n = 50) and compared the BELA-A-k with the Sickness Impact Profile, the COOP/WONCA Functional Health Assessment Charts and the Loneliness Questionnaire (de Jong-Gierveld). All questionnaires were administered in person at home, in a prescribed order.

The BELA-A-k was completed by 60 PD-caregivers. The internal-consistency reliability coefficients for the total "Bothered by" (0.90) and "Need for Help" (0.92) scales were excellent. The internal consistency of the subscales exceeded the 0.70 standard except for the "Bothered by" and "Need for Help" Social functioning scale (Bb = 0.62; NfH = 0.65) and the Partner-bonding/Family scale (NfH = 0.69). Almost all BELA-A-k subscales correlated highly (P < 0.001) with the corresponding scales of the standard quality of life indices.

The BELA-A-k is a relevant, reliable and valid measure for assessing psychosocial problems and need for help of PD-caregivers.