Burden, Stress, and Depression in Informal Caregivers of Patients Pre and Post Liver Transplant

Caring for a patient with chronic liver disease involves exposure to factors that increase family caregivers' vulnerability to developing mental disorders. This study reassessed the scores of burden, stress, and depression in informal (family) caregivers of patients with liver disease after liver transplant.

In this observational and descriptive study, the caregivers were reassessed for the same outcomes 4 to 10 years following the initial assessment pre-transplant. The data were obtained from the identification card, the interview script, the Brazilian version of the Caregiver Burden Scale, the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Descriptive statistics of pre- and post-liver transplant phases were calculated, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the burden scores.

The 5 caregivers were women, with a mean age of 51.6 (SD, 8.38) years. All of the caregivers' (100%) burden score increased, 2 caregivers needed to seek some form of help, and 3 caregivers showed an indication of burden risk. Regarding stress symptoms, 3 caregivers (60%) maintained a score indicating no stress, 2 caregivers (40%) presented increased scores, and the predominant symptoms changed from psychological to physical. Regarding depression, 3 caregivers (60%) maintained the minimum level of symptoms for depression, and 2 caregivers (40%) presented increased scores.

After liver transplant, caregivers' burden scores increased, and levels of stress and depression increased for caregivers who already showed symptoms in the pre-transplant phase.