Quality of Life in Family Caregivers of Adolescents with Depression in China: A Mixed-Method Study

Figures & data

Table 1 General Information of Interviewed Caregivers

Number	Age (Years)	Gender	Relationship with the Patient	Educational Level	Physical QoL	Mental QoL
1^a	48	Female	Mother	University	77.75	90.00
2^a	41	Female	Mother	High school	74.00	83.13
3^b	44	Male	Father	Junior high school	49.75	74.46
4^a	43	Female	Mother	University	66.00	54.29
5^c	43	Female	Mother	University	54.00	46.88
6^d	37	Female	Mother	University	66.25	31.63
7^b	38	Female	Mother	Junior high school	60.25	55.46
8^c	63	Female	Grandmother	Primary school	36.75	38.21
9^c	40	Male	Father	Junior high school	40.50	47.38
10^a	40	Female	Mother	High school	65.25	64.08
11^d	25	Female	Sister	University	74.75	51.21
12^a	42	Female	Mother	Primary school	85.50	86.75

Notes: ^aSubjects with both physical and mental QoL higher than the norms. ^bSubjects with physical QoL lower than the norms but mental QoL higher than the norms. ^cSubjects with both physical and mental QoL lower than the norms. ^dSubjects with mental QoL lower than the norms but physical QoL higher than the norms.

Table 2 Demographic Characteristics of Caregivers (n=240)

Sample Characteristics	n (%)	Mean (SD)	Range
Age (years)		43.57 (7.77)	19–72
Gender
Male	66 (27.5)
Female	174 (72.5)
Relationship with the AWD
Father	58 (24.2)
Mother	155 (64.6)
Grandparents	15 (6.3)
Others	12 (5.0)
Educational qualification
Primary school and below	45 (18.8)
Junior high school	106 (44.2)
High school	39 (16.3)
University and above	50 (20.8)
Marital status
Unmarried	10 (4.2)
Married	203 (84.6)
Divorced	22 (9.2)
Widowed	5 (2.1)
Employment status
Employed	104 (43.3)
Unemployed	136 (56.7)
Family monthly income (US$)^a
≤444^b	125 (52.1)
>444	115 (47.9)
Caregivers’ disease-related knowledge level about depression (self-assessment)
Fully unknown	94 (39.2)
Know little	130 (54.2)
Know a lot	10 (4.2)
Fully know	6 (2.5)

Notes: ^aThe United States dollar based on a currency exchange rate of 6.7518 Yuan RMB to US$1.00 in 2017. ^bThe minimum per capita income in Hunan province, China in 2016.⁴⁶

Table 3 Demographic Characteristics of Adolescents with Depression (n = 240)

Sample Characteristics	n (%)	Mean (SD)	Range
Age (years)		15.37 (1.95)	12–18
Gender
Male	109 (45.4)
Female	131 (54.6)
Only child
Yes	102 (42.5)
No	138 (57.5)
Course of disease (months)		12.70 (7.49)	0.5–132
Suicide history^a
Yes	97 (40.4)
No	143 (59.6)
First-episode^b
Yes	136 (56.7)
No	104 (43.3)
Data source
Outpatient	72 (30.0)
Inpatient	168 (70.0)

Notes: ^aThe history of suicide ideation or suicide attempts. ^bFirst diagnosed with depression by a psychiatrist.

Table 4 Comparison of Quality of Life Mean Scores Between Caregivers and Chinese Norms

QoL Subscale	Caregivers’ Score (X±SD)	Chinese Norm (X±SD)	t	P-values (Independent t-test)
PF	82.93±15.42	89.01±15.72	−6.086	0.000
SF	77.71±24.69	84.60±18.15	−3.947	0.007
BP	72.90±16.25	80.40±19.7	−6.725	0.000
VT	54.73±21.07	71.15±18.09	−11.963	0.000
MH	54.27±19.01	75.23±16.69	−16.892	0.000
GH	54.07±27.95	66.03±20.87	−6.602	0.000
RE	50.97±37.95	77.04±35.45	−10.625	0.000
RP	50.73±35.97	81.99±31.65	−13.468	0.000
PCS	65.18±19.12	79.36±17.00	−11.105	0.000
MCS	59.42±21.22	77.00±17.42	−12.833	0.000

Abbreviations: PE, physical functioning; SF, social functioning; BP, bodily pain; VT, vitality; MH, mental health; GH, general health; RE, role-emotional; RP, role-physical; PCS, physical component summary (consists of PF, BP, RP and GH); MCS, mental component summary (consists of the VT, SF, RE and MH).

Table 5 Correlation Analysis of Care-Giving Burden, Family Functioning, Positive and Negative Affect on Caregivers’ QoL

Variables	Care-Giving Burden	Family Functioning	Positive Affect	Negative Affect
Physical QoL	−0.594	0.551	0.519	−0.494
Mental QoL	−0.634	0.571	0.511	−0.523

Note: All values are statistically significant at P< 0.01 (two-tailed).

Table 6 Multivariate Stepwise Regression Analysis of Caregivers’ Physical Quality of Life

Variables	Beta	t	P-values
Care-giving burden	−0.315	−5.676	0.000
Positive affect	0.269	5.039	0.000
Family functioning	0.238	4.499	0.000
Caregivers’ education level	0.192	4.346	0.000
Patients’ course of disease	−0.102	−2.283	0.023

Abbreviation: Beta, standardized beta.

Table 7 Multivariate Stepwise Regression Analysis of Caregivers’ Mental Quality of Life

Variables	Beta	t	P-values
Negative affect	−0.143	−2.261	0.025
Care-giving burden	−0.289	−4.238	0.000
Positive affect	0.158	2.786	0.006
Caregivers’ education level	0.090	1.971	0.049
Family functioning	0.268	4.918	0.000
Suicide history	−0.093	−2.024	0.044

Abbreviation: Beta, standardized beta.

Inogbo CF, Olotu SO, James BO, Nna EO. Burden of care amongst caregivers who are first degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia. Pan Afr Med J. 2017;28:284. doi:10.11604/pamj.2017.28.284.11574

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar