Caregiver Burden and Coping Strategies in Caregivers of Elderly Patients with Stroke

Abstract

Background Coping strategies play a key role in modulating the caregiving burden. The present study was aimed to determine the severity of the burden of care and its relationship with coping strategies among caregivers of post-stroke elderly patients in Zanjan City, Iran. Methods A total of 110 caregivers of elderly patients who had previously had a stroke participated in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. A demographic checklist, Zarit Burden Interview, and Lazarus and Folkman questionnaires were used for data collection. Questionnaires were completed by the caregivers, who were selected using convenience sampling. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson's correlations and independent t-tests. Results The mean age of 110 caregivers participated in the study was 32.09 ± 8.70 years. The most commonly used coping strategies were reappraisal and seeking social support. Results of the independent t-test showed that male caregivers used the reappraisal strategy (t(110) = 2.76; p = 0.007) and responsibility (t(110) = 2.26; p = 0.026) significantly more than female caregivers. Pearson’s correlation showed a significant positive correlation between caregiver burden and emotional-focused strategies including escaping (r = 0.245, P = 0.010) and distancing (r = 0.204, P = 0.032). Conclusions Based on the results, caregivers with higher burden care used more negative coping strategies, such as escape and distancing. In order to encourage caregivers to utilize effective coping skills, appropriate programs should be designed and implemented to support caregivers. Use of effective coping skills to reduce the level of personal burden can improve caregiver physical health and psychological well-being.