Dimensional analysis of burden in family caregivers of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Abstract

Aims: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) also generates emotional burden in the patient's family members, but no study has evaluated the specific dimensions of burden. The objectives were to evaluate the dimensions of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and possible correlates.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 47 patients and 47 caregivers, using a sociodemographic questionnaire; the ZBI; the Self Reporting Questionnaire; the Family Accommodation Scale; and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The ZBI factor analysis was conducted using Varimax Rotation.Results: Six factors were identified, explaining 74.2% of the total variance: factor 1, interference in the caregiver's personal life (36.6% of the variance); factor 2, perception of patient's dependence (10.8%); factor 3, feelings of irritation or intolerance (9.2%); factor 4, guilt (7.2%); factor 5, insecurity (5.6%); and factor 6, embarrassment (4.8%). The six ZBI factors were associated with greater OCD severity and with greater accommodation to the patient's symptoms, and factors 1, 2, 5 and 6 with caregiver's psychological morbidity. Caregiver's sex (female) was associated with factors 5 and 6, relationship with the patient (being a parent or son/daughter) with factor 5, higher educational level with factor 6, living with the patient with factor 3, worse self-evaluation of health with factors 1, 5 and 6, and occupational status (not working) with factors 1, 2, 5 and 6. Conclusion:The dimensions of burden identified indicate the most affected aspects of a caregiver's life and could guide the planning of more specific interventions. Thus, the caregiver could participate more effectively in the OCD patient's treatment, with a lower impact on his/her life.

Patient and family factors associated with family accommodation in obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…Notwithstanding, it seems likely that FA may be a mediator of OCD symptom severity, as demonstrated in the path analytic model proposed by Van Noppen and Steketee . Furthermore, as suggested by Ferrão et al ., high levels of FA may lead to a less favorable response to treatment in the patient, and may enhance the caregiver's suffering, as reported in the study by Torres et al …”

Family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders: a five-year update

“…Torres et al . [35] examined caregiver burden in the relatives of 47 adults with OCD. They identified six major sources of burden (e.g., interference in the caregivers’ personal life; perception of patients’ dependence on them), and all of which correlated significantly with family accommodation scale scores.…”

Duchenne muscular dystrophy and caregiver burden: a systematic review

“…Concerning measures of overall burden in DMD, the mean global ZBI score has been estimated at between 15 (in France) and 37 (in Sweden), [10][11][12] which may be compared with estimates for neuromuscular diseases in general (23), 34 irritable bowel syndrome (22), 35 Alzheimer's disease (29), 36 obsessive-compulsive disorder (29), 37 and Parkinson disease (24). 38 Interestingly, despite the notable variability across specific countries within studies, mean ZBI scores from pooled samples of caregivers from Cavazza et al 11 and Landfeldt et al 12 were strikingly similar, indicating that differences, at least to some extent, may be driven by chance and low precision, owing to small sample populations.…”