Personal and familial predictors of depressive feelings in people with orthopedic disability

Abstract

People with orthopedic disability experience limitations in physical ability, which can cause psychological problems such as depressive feelings. This paper investigates the role of family environment, caregiver characteristics, and personal resources in the acceptance of disability and depressive feelings of persons with orthopedic disability. participants and procedureData were collected from 161 Turkish people with orthopedic disability (mean age = 35.60 years, SD = 10.18) and their family caregivers (e.g., parent, spouse). The participants with disability completed scales for functional independence, acceptance of disability, family environment, locus of control, learned resourcefulness, and depression. The family caregivers completed measures of social support, their own depression, burden of caregiving, and acceptance-rejection of their care recipient. resultsAnalyses via multivariate statistics and SEM showed that depressive feelings of individuals with orthopedic disability and their acceptance of the disability were predicted by multiple factors, including the affected persons' learned resourcefulness and locus of control, family environment, and interactions with their family caregiver, but not by their functional independence. conclusionsOverall, a supportive family environment and acceptance of disability appear to lower the risk of having depression for individuals with orthopedic disability. Family caregivers' attitudes towards their care recipients were related to the family environment, and feelings of burden appeared to impair the affected individuals' acceptance of their condition. (Pierangelo & Giu liani, 2007). Whether congenital or acquired (traumati cally or gradually), orthopedic disability exerts a major impact on the affected individuals and their families (Keany & Gluekauf, 1993). Limitations in physical abil ity not only adversely influence the mobility of people with orthopedic disability, but can also cause social and psychological problems such as depression (Crichlow, Andres, Morrison, Haley, & Vrahas, 2006;. In order to alleviate these problems, it is important to identify factors that contribute to the depressive feelings they may experience.People with orthopedic disability can often en counter problems such as pain and a progressive decline of energy and muscle use, and may need as sistance for various daily activities such as eating, dressing, transfer, and bowel and bladder care (Rob insonWhelen & Rintala, 2003; Weitzenkamp, Ger hart, Charlifue, & Whiteneck, 1997). Therefore, there is usually a family caregiver who lives with people with orthopedic disabilities and interacts with them on a daily basis (Dreer, Elliott, Shewchuk, Berry, & Rivera, 2007). Due to such a living arrangement that requires continual interaction between the indi vidual with disability and his/her relative, the char acteristics and functioning of the caregiving family member might be among the factors affecting the emotional wellbeing of individuals with disabilities. Yet research on this topic is l...

Caregiving Role and Psychosocial and Individual Factors: A Systematic Review

“…The health and well-being of caregivers and the people they take care of were also affected by certain situations such as the existence of family conflicts, the presence of a hostile attitude, or the lack of warmth in the family nucleus [ 60 , 61 ]. Both hostile attitude and lack of warmth were measured through the Family Assessment Device (FAD) [ 62 ].…”

“…Taking care of these people also has a large impact on other areas of their caregivers’ lives. Eight of the studies [ 22 , 34 , 44 , 60 , 63 , 66 , 67 , 68 ] showed that coping with this situation implies that many caregivers have to leave paid jobs in order to devote themselves fully to care, thus facing significant financial problems, which directly affects their well-being. Many caregivers find it impossible to reconcile work and family due to the high demands placed on the person receiving care.…”

“…Despite the great impact associated with care, there are also factors in caregivers that protect their health and well-being and promote the provision of care. As it has been shown in five of the articles that were selected for this review [ 11 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 69 ], the quality of life of caregivers was improved by three conditions: (a) the existence of a good relationship between the caregiver and the person receiving care, (b) having a broad support network [ 70 , 71 ] measured by the scale Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) [ 72 ], and (c) having positive personality traits or traits that are prone to adequate adaptation to their environment and effective coping responses, such as high self-esteem or resilience. While social isolation can be a stress factor, social support can act as a buffer against stress and, thereby, influence health and illness processes in different directions depending on its availability and appropriateness.…”

“…In addition to the physical and mental impact of caregiving, the studies analyzed also showed the gender differences that exist in caregivers, with women assuming the majority of care, taking into account not only the burden but also how responsibilities are divided, showing worse self-informed health compared to men and spending more time in care [ 10 , 31 ]. This often means that they have to reconcile work and family life or, in the worst case, abandon their professional life in order to devote themselves fully to the care of these people [ 22 , 34 , 44 , 60 , 63 , 66 , 67 ]. The results of the 7th Survey on Quality of Life at Work of 2006 carried out by the Spanish Ministerio de Trabajo showed that women were less satisfied than men regarding the level of balance achieved between family and work.…”

“…These protective variables are constituted by certain individual characteristics of caregivers and by external factors, which facilitate the provision of support to other people. Among the protective factors within the caregiver–person receiving care relationship, we can find: the existence of a good relationship between the two, a support network to be able to count on and receive help, or having good self-esteem and being resilient [ 11 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 69 ]. These factors mitigate the negative effects described above.…”