Predictors of Burden of Care Among Caregivers of Drug-Naive Children and Adolescents With ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Correlative Study From Muscat, Oman

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The psychological burden, or the Burden of Care, of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders-especially attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)has been the subject of many studies worldwide. From the Arab/Islamic countries there is a dearth of research on the burden of care. The present study attempts to rectify the omission by assessing the prevalence of the burden of care among caregivers of children with ADHD in Oman. OBJECTIVES: The study assesses the prevalence of burden of care among caregivers of children who had been diagnosed with ADHD seeking consultation at a tertiary care unit in Oman. Related aim is to explore the predictors of the burden of care, subtypes of ADHD and socio-demographic factors. METHODS: Across-sectional correlative study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Oman that provides child and adolescent mental health services. Arabic-version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) was administered to 117 caregivers of drug-naive children with ADHD attending a tertiary care hospital in Oman with child and adolescent mental health services. Sociodemographic background and clinical data were gathered from medical records as well as directly from the attending caregivers. The ADHD symptoms were grouped as hyperactive, inattentive or mixed. RESULTS: The prevalence of the burden of care was estimated to be 34%. Binary regression analysis indicated that factors such as income levels of the caregiver as well as the child's ADHD being of "mixed" type have significant impact on the burden of care. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the prevalence of the burden of care among the caregivers of ADHD children in Oman is comparable to that in the other regions of the world. Our results showed lower income sole caregiver and the type of ADHD to be significant predictors of burden of care. As the caregivers' psychological stress impact the wellbeing of the family, and the society as a whole, the issue of the burden of care needs to be studied further detail and interventions evolved.

Predictors of Quality of Life Among Omani Family Caregivers of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury

“…The majority of the studies that have focused on FCs in Oman included caregivers of patients with cancer and children with autism and found high caregiver burden and low QoL. 25,26 The findings of the current study show that the FCs of patients with TBI were mostly female, the parent or child of the patient with TBI, and assumed caregiving responsibilities for a patient with severe TBI (52.8%) and multiple severe symptoms. The symptoms that were most common include inability to live independently (97.2%); loss of muscle strength; paralysis; limited physical mobility or poor coordination (77.5%); mood problems such as depression, anxiety, denial, and frequent change in emotions (66.7%); and loss of memory and concentration (63.9%).…”

“…The majority of the studies that have focused on FCs in Oman included caregivers of patients with cancer and children with autism and found high caregiver burden and low QoL. 25 , 26 …”