Caregivers of patients with disorder of consciousness: burden, quality of life and social support.

Acta Neurol Scand

Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit and Coma Research Centre, Scientific Directorate, Neurological Institute Carlo Besta IRCCS Foundation, Milan, Italy.

Published: October 2015

Objective: To evaluate quality of life (QoL) and its predictors, psychological burden and level of perceived social support in caregivers of patients with disorder of consciousness.

Materials & Methods: World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF), State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y (STAI-Y), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Prolonged Grief Disorder Questionnaire, Coping Orientations to Problem Experiences, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), and the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) were administered. One-sample t-tests were performed to compare WHOQOL-BREF, STAI-Y and STAXI-2 mean scores to the respective normative sample (NS). Pearson correlation was calculated between time dedicated to patient's care, WHOQOL-BREF, BDI-II, STAI-Y and MOS-SSS scores. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate which variables have predictive power on QoL.

Results: A total of 129 caregivers, 68.2% female, mean age 52.8 years, were enrolled. Three WHOQOL-BREF domains were significantly lower. Anxiety and anger were in line with NS. 28.7% of the sample reported high level of depressive symptoms; 20.9% satisfied the prolonged grief disorder criteria. No differences emerged between caregivers and chronic ill patients' scores at MOS-SSS. STAI-Y, BDI-II and WHOQOL-BREF scores positively correlated. MOS-SSS domains inversely correlate with BDI-II scores. BDI-II results the most relevant predictor of QoL.

Conclusions: Study results provided innovative information about caregivers' poor QoL, difficulties in social support and high levels of burden. Time dedicated to care is not strictly related to burden, while social support perceived is highly associated with caregivers' depressive symptoms that are strong predictor of poor QoL. Supportive intervention able to integrate psychological, social and environmental levels is needed.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ane.12392DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

social support
20
caregivers patients
8
patients disorder
8
quality life
8
prolonged grief
8
grief disorder
8
time dedicated
8
depressive symptoms
8
poor qol
8
social
6

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!