Burden and Its Predictors among Caregivers of Patient with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic unpredictable debilitating condition. Epilepsy has great impacts not only on patients with epilepsies but also the persons around them. Burden among caregivers is understudied area. In view of the dearth of literature or studies focused on caregivers of children with epilepsy in Nepalese context, this study is expected to assess burden and its predictors among caregivers of children with epilepsy.

A total of 106 caregivers were interviewed using purposive sampling technique. The Zarit Burden Interview Scale short version was used to assess burden and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression. Data were analysed using SPSS ver. 16.0. Chi-square test, multinomial logistic regression and linear regression analysis were done for analysis of inferential statistics to find out the predictors of burden.

Majority of the caregivers (71.7%) were females and 64.2% of caregivers were mothers of children. Majority of responders (77.4%) were Hindus. Mild to moderate burden was found in 27.4% and high burden was found in 14.2% of the caregivers. Borderline anxiety, borderline depression, anxiety and depression were present in 7.5%, 8.5%, 6.6%, and 6.6% caregivers respectively. Burden was significantly higher in caregivers of epileptic children with poorly controlled seizure (p=0.003) and with co-morbidities (p=0.009). Similarly, burden score had significant positive correlation (p=0.001) with depression and significant negative correlation (p=0.005) with age of onset of epilepsy in children.

Burden, anxiety and depression are common problems in caregivers of children with epilepsy. Poorly controlled seizure, presence of associated comorbidities, younger age of onset of seizure in children and presence of depression in caregivers are the important factors that predict burden among caregivers of children with epilepsy.