Family Caregiver Social Problem-Solving Abilities and Adjustment to Caring for a Relative with Vision Loss

Abstract

Purpose To examine the prevalence of persons at risk for depression among family caregivers of visually impaired persons and the extent to which social problem-solving abilities are associated with caregiver depressive symptomatology and life satisfaction. Methods Family caregivers were defined as adults who accompanied their adult relative to an appointment at a low-vision rehabilitation clinic and self-identified themselves as the primary family caregiver responsible for providing some form of assistance for their relative due to vision impairment. Demographic variables, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, caregiver burden, and social problem-solving abilities were assessed in caregivers. The patient’s visual acuity and depressive symptoms and their relationship to the caregiver’s depressive symptoms and life satisfaction were also examined. Results Ninety-six family caregivers were enrolled. Of those, 35.4% were identified as at risk for depression. Among caregivers, dysfunctional or ineffective social problem-solving abilities were significantly associated with greater depressive symptomatology and decreased life satisfaction after adjustment for caregiver burden and demographic and medical variables for both the caregiver and the visually impaired patient. Problem orientation or motivation to solving problems was also significantly associated with caregiver depression and satisfaction with life. Conclusions A substantial number of caregivers of visually impaired adults experience psychosocial distress, particularly among those who possess poor social problem-solving abilities. These results underscore the need for routine screening and treatment of emotional distress among individuals caring for relatives with vision impairments. Future research should examine the extent to which psychosocial interventions targeting caregiver social problem-solving skills may be useful not only in improving caregiver quality of life but also in subsequently enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for the visually impaired care recipient.

Caregiver perceptions about the impact of caring for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration

“…They take on additional responsibility (domestic duties, assisting with mobility, transport, tasks that require fine detail vision) yet sacrifice their own needs. Despite many studies reporting caregiver stress and the burden placed on caregivers, [1][2][3][4][5]12 in this study, surprisingly, the caregivers did not identify these factors as being the most important aspects of caring for someone with wet AMD. Instead the focus was on the altruistic personality traits related to compassion, empathy and self-sacrifice.…”

“…Therefore, increased distress may not only be related to factors such as demographic attributes of caregivers, the time they spend caring, the dependence level or amount of vision impairment of the care recipient. [1][2][3][4][5] The caregiver statements identified in this study clearly speak to the selfless nature of these caregivers.…”

“…This is consistent with studies reporting the compromise to caregivers' health and quality of life. [1][2][3][4] Taking a break from caring or seeking an alternate social outlet could be perceived as selfish and caregivers may be reluctant to express this, however, a few caregivers did raise this issue that others were more reticent to express, because inherently they are selfless by nature. The known psychological distress experienced by caregivers and disruption to lifestyle could be lessened if caregivers themselves received respite.…”

“…Family caregivers often provide assistance without formal training yet despite this, there is a high expectation that caregivers will provide competent care both in the home and in the medical setting. [1][2][3] Family caregivers are usually not compensated for their time and in addition, tend to neglect their own personal needs. It is well documented that caregiver burden includes expending significant financial, emotional and physical effort while receiving no return (both financial and emotional).…”

“…This in turn causes overload and stress compromising the caregiver's health and quality of life. [1][2][3][4][5] The burden caregivers experience may be related to their demographic and social factors (age, race, gender, education and so on) and poor patient health outcomes arise when the health of caregivers is compromised and inadequate resources are available to assist the care recipient. 3,4 Of particular interest is the impact of caring for people with vision impairment, particularly those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).…”