Women typically report greater burden associated with caregiving than do men. We used data from interviews with 131 older spouse caregivers to explore potential explanations for this difference. A linear regression model explained 35% of the variance in caregiver burden. The patient's cognitive and behavioral difficulties emerged as the most important predictor of burden, followed by caregiver age, unpleasant social contacts, caregiver sex, and overall coping effectiveness. Findings suggest that age differences in male and female caregivers contribute to the observed differences in burden.
Introduction:Burnout in firefighter/paramedics (FF/EMT-Ps) is widely believed to exist, but few empirical data support its existence, symptomatology, or intervention. Understanding the extent, nature, and cause of burnout is crucial to improving employee morale and performance.Study Population:Ninety-one FF/EMT-Ps employed by Salt Lake County Fire Department.Hypotheses:Three specific hypotheses were tested: 1) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on authoritarianism; 2) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on inner-directedness; and 3) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on sensation seeking.Methods:In this descriptive study, FF/EMT-Ps computed four standardized instruments measuring authoritarianism, burnout, inner-directedness versus other-directedness and sensation seeking.Results:Firefighters who scored high on burnout also scored high on authoritarianism and on the sensation-seeking subscale of boredom. Burnout did not correlate with the overall sensation-seeking scale or with its other subscales (thrill, experience, and disinhibition), or inner-directedness versus other-directedness.Conclusion:A focus on control issues needs to be an integral part of programs for decreasing employee burnout among FF/EMT-Ps. Specific components of such programs should include stress management and counseling. In addition, management personnel need to be taught not only to assist direct-service staff, but also to recognize and deal with their own control issues as they affect job performance.
Informal social supports have been consistently associated with the physical and mental well-being of the elderly. In this study the associations between sense of strain and three types of social support are described for a sample of 131 spouse caregivers. Adverse social contacts were associated with increased strain, while positive contacts were insignificant. When sources of social support were examined daughters figured prominently, as important sources of both positive and adverse social contacts. Findings also emphasize the importance of interventions which include friends, neighbors, and others.
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