Caregiver's burden and quality of life: caring for physical and mental illness

Abstract

Several studies have been focused on the quality of life of caregivers caring for patients with exclusively physical or mental diseases, but little is known about the differences related to the burden experienced.This study had as its subject the burden of caregivers and their quality of life involved in helping patients with diseases (1) physical, (2) mental and (3) both pathological conditions. We interviewed 294 caregivers of outpatients undergoing physiotherapic, psychiatric and neuroriabilitative treatment. The evaluation was carried out with three instruments: an informative questionnaire, the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Quality of Life Index (QoL -I).Results show that both the burden and the quality of life are significantly worse for caregivers who care for patients with both physical and mental diseases. Caregivers most disadvantaged are those who indicate as a reason of care the sense of duty rather than the affection. Finally, the sons and daughters, differently from the parents, showed a greater burden of required time and a lower quality of life.The investigation of the motivational aspects of the caregivers and the increased knowledge of the differences between the emotional experience of parents and children can contribute to the definition of more specific psycho-educational interventions and support.

The Role of Caregiver Burden in Quality of Life and Perception of Patients with Chronic Kidney Failure on Hemodialysis

“…Additionally, the results of regression analysis demonstrated that caregiver burden was able to predict 0.05 of physical quality of life and mental quality of life (dimensions of quality of life) and 0.07 of physical suffering (dimension of perception of suffering), 0.05 of mental suffering (dimension of perception of suffering), and 0.05 of existential suffering (another dimension of perception of suffering). These results are in line with the results obtained from some previously conducted studies determining that caregiver burden was significantly and positively related to physical and mental dimensions of quality of life and it was significantly and inversely correlated with physical, mental, and existential dimensions of perception of suffering (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25).…”

“…The results of the study of Karakis et al revealed that low levels of quality of life in patients with epilepsy was related to low levels of their caregivers' quality of life (17). In another study, Settineri et al figured that caregivers, due to taking care of patients with chronic diseases, suffered from psychological, physical, and social pressures and as a result, they experienced burnout, anxiety, and depression (18).…”

Family Caregivers Burden and its Related Factors Among Iranian Elderly Psychiatric Patients’ Caregivers

“…Based on the findings, out of the care giving burden dimensions, only 2, including personal and emotional aspects, were associated with disease duration in the psychiatric elderly. A study from Italy on caregiver's burden and quality of life of elderly patients with physical and mental illness also revealed emotional, personal, and economic burden associated with disease duration in the caregivers (9). The present study revealed that the main caregivers were children of the patients followed by spouses.…”

“…Family caregivers are considered as a part of the informal support system mainly in charge of the patient without receiving any financial reward (5)(6)(7)(8). Family caregivers are a vulnerable population and like the elderly, they require special attention (9). Besides biological and physiological damage, stress and long-term caring impacts on the caregivers can result in fatigue (10,11), and probably reduced job and social activities and disconnected relationships with family and friends (12,13).…”

Effect of Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, and Personality Type on the Quality of Life among Caregivers of Schizophrenia Patient in Godean Sub-District, Yogyakarta

“…Caregivers with extrovert personality are likely to be open to other people, therefore the level of depression and care burden o caregivers of schizophrenia will be reducing. Caregivers with low level of depression and care burden will lead to better quality of life (Settineri et al, 2014). 5.…”