Effects of the caregiver burden perceived by caregivers of patients with neurological disorders on caregiver wellbeing and caregiver stress

Abstract

Purpose The present study was conducted to determine the effects of the caregiver burden perceived by caregivers of patients with neurological disorders on caregiver wellbeing and stress. Design and Methods The study was designed as a descriptive, cross‐sectional, and correlational study. Findings In the study, it was determined that the care burden is related to a caregiver's wellbeing and stress level and that the caregivers’ levels of performing activities of living decreased and their stress levels increased as their perceived burden of care increased. Implications for Practice Determining caregivers’ difficulties in providing care and providing them with professional support will contribute to reducing the burden of care.

The impact of community care: Burden and quality of life of the informal caregivers of patients with severe mental disorder

“…The findings related to mood states (anxiety or depression) are especially important in this and other studies (Larrañaga et al, 2008;Özkan Tuncay & Kars Fertelli, 2019;Vitaliano et al, 2003). 77% of respondents would show both a "probable anxiety" and a "probable depression."…”

“…Some resemble the present results (Gonçalves‐Pereira et al, 2013; Montero et al, 2006), and others show worse general and mental health like Soares in the study of carers for patients at outpatient clinics in Brazil (Soares & Thais Dias Ceciliano, 2014). Other investigations with even better scores can be cited, whose study has been carried out with more temporal continuity (Burns et al, 2013), in patients with organic pathology (Özkan Tuncay & Kars Fertelli, 2019), or in culturally different countries such as India (Kate et al, 2013).…”

“…This whole set of situations can favor the tendency of the appearance of the so-called caregiver syndrome. If we turn to the health consequences derived from the care of a dependent relative, the evidence reports an increased risk of suffering physical, psychological, and social disorders (García-Calvente et al, 2004;Özkan Tuncay & Kars Fertelli, 2019;Vitaliano et al, 2003), thus increasing the mortality rate which that entails and affirming previous studies (Pristavec & Luth, 2020). The decrease of the quality of life could affect 46% of patients with SMD (Hansson, 2006), also influence health's caregiver (Fernández de Larrinoa et al, 2011), and in relation to the general population (Heru et al, 2004).…”

“…If we look at the results obtained in previous research, we can verify that practically all studies report high levels of mental upset among caregivers, from 30% to 80% of the sample depending on the study (Burns et al, 2013; Gonçalves‐Pereira et al, 2013; Kate et al, 2013; Lasebikan & Ayinde, 2013; Lloyd et al, 2011; Soares & Thais Dias Ceciliano, 2014). The burden factor is equally influential and related to the previous (Gutiérrez‐Maldonado et al, 2005; Özkan Tuncay & Kars Fertelli, 2019). One of the most commonly accepted definitions is that which refers to as “the degree to which a carer's emotional or physical health, social life or financial status had suffered as a result of caring for their relative” (Zarit et al, 1986, p. 261).…”

Lockdown During COVID-19 and the Increase of Frailty in People With Neurological Conditions

“…Second, the mental health of people with neurological conditions may decline because of the additional stressors on caregivers caused by lockdown. Caregivers experiencing multiple stressors may be unable to provide adequate care to people with neurological conditions (20). In some countries, such as Brazil and New Zealand, caregivers are not considered essential workers, thus they have had to stop "caring" for their clients.…”