Mental Health in Family Members Living with Elders

Abstract

We assessed the mental health conditions of 217 subjects who took care of elders at home, using our depression scale by the surveillance of the elders living at home in Ibaraki Prefecture. An analysis was made on how depression in the caretakers was related with each item of demographical results of the caretakers and the elders living together at home, and with ADL, depression, dementia, personality change and the personality trait of the elders. Our study revealed that depression, personality change and the viscous character of the elders are three factors associated with depression in the female caretakers. Furthermore, we pointed out the necessity of an education campaign to provide the caretakers with information on the elders' personality and personality change for maintenance of the good mental health of the caretakers living with the elders.

Psychological Resources of Caregivers of Individuals Suffering From Parkinson’s Disease, and Their Declared Feeling of Burden

“…The feeling of burden experienced by caregivers was measured using the Polish Kwestionariusz Poczucia Obciążenia questionnaire (Raś et al, 2005), adapted for the measurement of this phenomenon neurodegenerative disorders take their course. The questionnaire consists of 20 questions and is analogous to the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (Zarit, 1980). The higher the caregiver's score, the higher the feeling of burden.…”

“…A feeling of burden is defined in the literature as physical, emotional, material, and the social costs incurred as a result of family members taking care of a chronically ill individual. It is a complex phenomenon, composed of a set of subjective and objective factors, the assessment of their current situation, and the associated limitations (Zarit, 1980;Suárez Bagnasco 2016). A feeling of burden may decrease one's quality of life and interfere with functioning in areas not directly related to the illness (Pinquart & Sorensen, 2003).…”