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Widening the net: exploring social determinants of burden of informal carers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2017

I. Gresswell ,
L. Lally ,
D. Adamis Open the ORCID record for D. Adamis [Opens in a new window]  and
G. M. McCarthy
I. Gresswell
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
L. Lally*
Affiliation:
Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Liscarney House, Sligo, Ireland
D. Adamis
Affiliation:
Sligo Leitrim Mental Health Service, Education Centre, St Columba’s Hospital, Sligo, Ireland
G. M. McCarthy
Affiliation:
Sligo Leitrim Mental Health Service, Education Centre, St Columba’s Hospital, Sligo, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr L. Lally, Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Liscarney House, Pearse Road, Sligo, Ireland. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Objectives

Providing care for a person with dementia or other chronic illness at home often places stress on the primary caregiver. In an Irish population, ~67% of carers reported experiencing extreme physical or mental tiredness. This study aimed to identify factors that influence carer burden and identify the sub-populations of carers who are most susceptible to burden.

Methods

Consecutive carers referred to a local carers’ support organisation completed the following measurements: the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Zarit Burden Interview, Social Network Index, General Health Questionnaire, Short Form Survey, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Brown’s Locus of Control scale and provided demographic data on themselves and their patient.

Results

The sample consisted 53 carers, mean age: 64.5±11.7, of whom 43 (81.1%) were females. A linear regression model found significant independent (p<0.05) factors for carer burden were: increased behavioural problems of the patient, carer characteristics including female gender, younger age, high number of contacts, lower physical functioning and emotional problems, while protective factors were marriage and higher number of embedded networks.

Conclusions

The ability to predict which carers are more susceptible to burden allows service providers to more quickly and accurately identify ‘higher risk’ carers, facilitating routine check-ups by physicians and carer support services.

Keywords

Carer burdeninformal carersresiliencerisk factors for burdensocial networks
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , March 2018 , pp. 43 - 51
Copyright
© College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2017 

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