Outcomes and predictors of stress among Turkish family caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury

Abstract

Objective

This study examined family caregiver stress and factors predicting the stress among caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Methods

Sixty caregivers of patients with ABI took part in this study. All participants completed assessments of Caregiver Strain Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The patients with ABI were also assessed on the Functional Independence Measure, Disability Rating Scale, Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Scale-revised, Functional Ambulation Classification Scale, and Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-revised. Relationship between caregiver’s stress and clinical outcomes was analyzed, together with factors significantly associated with stress.

Results

Elevated levels of stress were determined in 40% of caregivers. Higher stress was seen in caregivers of patients with shorter disease duration, worse functioning, who had more depression and anxiety, poorer perceived health status particularly for pain and emotional reaction domains, and less life satisfaction. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that caregiver’s stress was predicted by NHP pain domain (β = 0.062, p = 0.016) and SWLS (β = -0.133, p = 0.040).

Conclusion

Caregivers with more pain and less life satisfaction are at higher risk of developing stress. In order to overcome this difficult process and improve the quality of care, it would be appropriate to reveal predictors of stress and produce appropriate interventions/approaches.

Keywords:

• Brain injury
• caregiver burden
• rehabilitation

Authors Contribution

Fatma Özcan was responsible for the conceptualization, methodology, and writing of the original draft. Eda Gürçay was responsible for the conceptualization, methodology, writing review, and editing. Ayşe Naz Kalem Özgen was responsible for the research. Yasin Demir was responsible for the formal analysis.

Disclosure statement

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