The Burden Model tested in this study corroborates findings from other burden studies and extends our knowledge of caregiver burden. Filial obligation, self-efficacy, demands of care, involvement in care, and coping were shown to predict burden in this sample of Taiwanese caregivers. Future study is needed to evaluate interventions designed for family caregivers of persons with dementia. Especially needed is research in the area of counseling and mental health services to assist caregivers in dealing with manifestations of burden.

Individuals who used more planful problem-solving and social support seeking coping strategies had fewer depressive symptoms, whereas individuals who used more escape-avoidance coping (eg, wishful thinking) had more depressive symptoms. When demographic factors also were included in a regression analysis assessing depressive symptoms, marital status, functional impairment, and the coping strategies of planful problem-solving and escape-avoidance were all statistically significant predictors of depression. Single individuals, those who used more escape-avoidance, less planful problem-solving coping, and more functional impairment had more depressive symptoms. These results suggest that psychosocial factors, in addition to physical parameters, and the ways individuals cope with the stressors of living with heart failure may be important predictors of depressive symptoms.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions designed to prepare adolescents for surgery should be tailored to individual factors and developmental needs, especially the adolescents' preoperative anxiety level and age.