Benefit Finding Among Caregivers With Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study

To explore the level and influencing factors of caregivers' benefit finding in stroke patients from both the patient and caregiver perspectives. The growing number of stroke patients with physical impairments has presented significant challenges for caregivers. Benefit finding refers to the positive experience caregivers derive from their caregiving roles, which can help mitigate the adverse effects on their mental health. Although previous research has confirmed that demographic factors affect the benefit finding of caregivers of stroke patients, few studies explore the impact of uncertainty in illness, care ability, and self-efficacy on benefit finding. Consequently, the current research on this relationship is still quite limited. Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 428 caregivers among stroke patients. The research tools included demographic and disease characteristics, Benefit Finding Scale, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Family Member, Family Caregiver Task Inventory, and General Self-Efficacy Scale. The STROBE checklist was used to guide the presentation of this study. The caregivers' benefit finding among stroke patients are found to be at a medium low level. The result of multiple linear regression analysis showed that that stroke patients' self-care ability, caregivers average monthly household income, illness complexity, managing own emotional needs, appraising supportive resources and self-efficacy were influential factors in the benefit finding of caregivers. These factors accounted for 71.8% of benefit finding. The level of benefit finding for caregivers of stroke patients requires enhancement. Healthcare professionals could tailor interventions better to fit the unique characteristics of the target population thereby fostering a greater sense of benefit finding and supporting both the physical and mental well-being of caregivers. The basic characteristics and benefit-finding influence factors of the caregivers could help nurses identify caregivers who need help. If healthcare personnel can take some corresponding interventions based on the influencing factors of benefit finding, it can reduce the negative impact of caring for patients on caregivers and improve the well-being of caregivers.