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The development of a care-giving burden scale
J C Gerritsen1, P C van der Ende
1Northern Centre for Health Care Research (NCH), p/a Academisch Ziekenhuis Groningen, The Netherlands.
Age and Ageing
|November 1, 1994
Summary
This study developed a new burden scale for informal caregivers of psychogeriatric patients. The scale effectively measures care-giving burden across two key dimensions, showing strong reliability and validity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Informal caregivers of psychogeriatric patients experience significant distress.
- Existing burden scales may lack specificity and sensitivity in capturing the multifaceted nature of care-giving burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a conceptually specific and sensitive burden scale for informal caregivers.
- To differentiate between relationship dynamics and personal life limitations impacting caregivers.
Main Methods:
- Principal Components Analysis (PCA) on data from 89 informal caregivers interviewed twice.
- Reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha) and Mokken Scale Analysis for hierarchical structure.
- Construct validity assessed through correlations with caregiver depression and patient behavior.
Main Results:
- PCA identified two main factors corresponding to relationship and personal life dimensions.
- The total scale (13 items) demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84), with subscales (7 and 6 items) also reliable (alpha = 0.77).
- Strong correlations were found between care-giving burden, caregiver depression, and patient's deviant behavior.
Conclusions:
- The developed burden scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing care-giving burden in informal caregivers of psychogeriatric patients.
- The scale's two dimensions provide a nuanced understanding of caregiver distress.
- Findings support the scale's utility in clinical and research settings for evaluating caregiver well-being.