Emotional Exhaustion in Housewives and Alzheimer Patients’ Caregivers: Its Effects on Chronic Diseases, Somatic Symptoms and Social Dysfunction

Abstract

Background: Emotional exhaustion causes adverse effects in those who suffer from it. Housewives are not excluded. Domestic and care chores, which are considered to be sources of stress, increase when taking on the role of caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: To analyse the influence of emotional exhaustion, somatic symptoms and social dysfunction, based on the activity they carry out. Methodology: Cross-sectional survey. 193 women participated, of which: housewives (HWs) (n = 97), and Alzheimer’s patient caregiver-housewives (CHWs) (n = 96). The evaluation tools were: sociodemographic/working data questionnaire (ad hoc), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Results: High rates of emotional exhaustion are observed, as well as an existing positive link between chronic diseases, somatic symptoms and social dysfunction. The structural model indicates that emotional exhaustion predicts the amount and extent of diseases, somatic symptoms and social dysfunction. The influence is higher in CHWs. Limitations: Sample procedure implemented at convenience; the variable of the grade of dependence of the Alzheimer’s patient caregiver was not included in the study. Conclusions: The domestic and care chores that HWs and CHWs carry out affect their health. Hence the need to develop psychoeducative programmes that are adapted to the particular needs of these women and focused on the different areas of their everyday lives.

Caring for Family Members With Alzheimer’s and Burnout Syndrome: Impairment of the Health of Housewives

“…All of this could explain the higher percentage of women with high levels of exhaustion in the group of caregivers. These findings are in line with what has previously been shown by authors who have identified caregiving in itself as an additional risk factor for developing health problems in the role of housewife (Crespo et al, 2005;Lovell and Wetherell, 2011;Campos-Puente, 2016). That is, in our opinion, and in view of our findings, the work of caring for a family member with Alzheimer is an additional burden that would increase the vulnerability of the housewife to demands intrinsic to her own role as housewife and to its consequences to her health.…”

“…It would therefore be of interest in future research to undertake the study of variables which can orient specific strategies and personal resources that need to be promoted in these women; in other words, those variables that could influence how they cope with their caregiving tasks, and what would help determine risk factors and protection from developing burnout, in general and in each of its dimensions, and from affecting their physical and emotional health in their personal situation. In view of all of the above, previous studies on burnout, and in particular, those focusing on caregiving, have found that some of these variables could be, for example, the quality of the relationship between the caregiver and the patient before the need for care arose, self-care of the caregiver herself, their feelings of competence, resilience, post-traumatic growth, and the type of coping strategy employed (see Avargues-Navarro et al, 2010;Fernández-Lansac and Crespo, 2011;Hodgins et al, 2011;Díaz and Ponsada, 2017;Navarro-Abal et al, 2017;Pérez-San-Gregorio et al, 2017;Campos-Puente et al, 2019).…”

“…Similarly, direct work with this group, teaching them techniques for caring for patients at different stages of the disease's development, as well as time management techniques that favor conciliation of caregiving with their participation in social life, favoring the design of their own life projects. Finally, more personalized actions focusing on strengthening personal and psychological resources are necessary to enable these women to manage stress satisfactorily, regulate their emotions, and take care of themselves as well (Campos-Puente, 2016). In this line, future studies should focus on those personal variables that can be modified by intervention and that could act as protectors, and perform a relevant role in adequate coping with the daily stress they live with.…”

“…The first studies on this subject in Spain were done by Campos-Puente (2016) and Campos-Puente et al (2019) demonstrated the high levels of emotional exhaustion in this group of women, and that emotional exhaustion predicts the amount and extent of diseases, somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction in them. Starting out from these preliminary findings and the needs observed in clinical practice, in which a larger number of women with anxiety and depression are attended to each year, we wanted to continue enlarging these preliminary findings by focusing on how each of the dimensions of the burnout syndrome is manifested in this group of women, as well as the impact that it could have not only on their general heath but also on the presence of emotional alterations, placing special emphasis on the role of emotional exhaustion (a major dimension of the syndrome) in the appearance of these alterations.…”

“…Findings suggest that the general health, and in particular, mental health of caregivers, is worse than the general population (Fernández de Larrinoa et al, 2011). Caregivers themselves specifically refer to problems related to anxiety and depression, such as exhaustion, backaches, headaches and muscle pain, sleep impairment, affectation of the immunological system, apathy and irritability, and so forth (Crespo et al, 2005;Lovell and Wetherell, 2011;Campos-Puente, 2016).…”