Family conflict over illness beliefs and care strategies: implications for burden in family caregivers

Abstract

Objectives

Family conflict is an understudied aspect of the caregiver experience. Drawing from the stress process model, the present study examined the prevalence and correlates of conflict over illness beliefs (e.g. conflict over the care recipient’s illness and need for facility placement) and family care strategies (e.g. lack of involvement and support from family members).

Methods

Adult child and spouse caregivers (N = 579) of persons with physical or cognitive impairment from clinic and internet samples completed the Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS) to assess each topic of conflict and burden.

Results

Most caregivers reported conflict with family members over care strategies (63%) or illness beliefs (55%). Clinic caregivers reported greater illness beliefs conflict than online caregivers. Adult children reported greater illness beliefs and family care strategies than spouses. Male caregivers were more likely than female caregivers to report care strategies conflict. Caregiver overload was significantly associated with family care strategies conflict. Both conflicts were positively associated with caregiver burden.

Conclusions

Findings further support that family conflict is a widespread concern associated with burden among online and help-seeking caregivers. Caregiving relationship type and gender may increase likelihood of each conflict. Findings inform recommendations for clinical intervention and assessment of family caregivers.

Keywords:

• Caregiver
• conflict
• aging
• dementia
• burden

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the UCCS Aging Center for their support of participant recruitment and Kelsey Bacharz and Geffen Ferzt for their many hours assisting with data collection and database management.

Ethical approval

IRB: University of Colorado Colorado Springs, IRB Approval #: 19-115.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JD, upon reasonable request.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this article are those of the primary author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.