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Differences among Caregivers on Coping Resources and Mental Health
Jaclene A Zauszniewski1, Kayla Herbell2, Nirmala Lekhak3
1Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Issues in Mental Health Nursing
|August 22, 2020
Summary
Family caregivers face significant burden and mental health risks, especially those caring for individuals with traumatic brain injury, stroke, or dementia. Resourcefulness training may help mitigate these challenges.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Family caregivers are crucial for supporting adults with disabilities or chronic illnesses.
- Understanding caregiver burden and mental health is vital for effective support systems.
- Ensel and Lin's stress and coping paradigm provides a framework for studying caregiver well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine differences in coping resources and mental health among family caregivers based on the health conditions of the persons they care for.
- To identify specific caregiver groups facing the greatest challenges.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was administered to 234 family caregivers.
- Validated measures assessed resourcefulness, spiritual practices, caregiver burden, anxiety, and depression.
- Caregivers were categorized into nine groups based on the care recipient's health condition.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in caregiver burden and resourcefulness were observed across the nine condition-based groups.
- Caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury, stroke, and dementia reported the highest burden and lowest resourcefulness.
- Anxiety and depression risk was uniformly high across all caregiver groups, irrespective of the care recipient's condition.
Conclusions:
- Caregiver burden and resourcefulness vary significantly depending on the care recipient's health condition.
- Family caregivers, particularly those of individuals with traumatic brain injury, stroke, or dementia, experience substantial psychological distress.
- Interventions focused on enhancing resourcefulness may be beneficial for high-risk caregiver populations.
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