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Wong LP, Xu X, Alias H, Ting CY, Tan HM, Lin Y. Patient- and caregiver-related factors affecting family caregiver burden of urologic cancer patients. Urol Oncol 2024:S1078-1439(24)00420-4. [PMID: 38670816 DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the level of family caregivers' (FC) burden and the extent to which patient- and caregiver-related factors influence the caregiving burden among FCs of urologic cancer (UC) patients. METHOD A cross-sectional survey was conducted on caregivers of UC patients who sought cancer care. The modified caregiver strain index (MCSI) was used to assess FC burden. RESULTS Just over half (54.3%) of FCs had moderate/high MCSI scores (score 9-26). By demographics, FCs who were unemployed (OR = 5.55, 95%CI 1.50-20.60) and perceived their current health condition as moderate/poor (OR = 6.05, 95%CI 1.95-18.78) reported higher odds of increased FC burden. Patient performance status played a pivotal role in exacerbating FC burden, whereby the odds of higher FC burden was 13 times higher in caregivers of UC patients having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance rating score of 3-4 (OR = 13.06, 95%CI 1.44-111.26) than those with a score of 0. Perceived lower levels of confidence in care provision were significantly associated with a higher level of strain (OR = 6.76, 985%CI 1.02-44.90). CONCLUSION Care recipient performance status was a strong patient-related factor associated with higher FC burden regardless of duration of caregiving and other caregiver-related factors after adjusting for caregiver demographics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ping Wong
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Xiaonan Xu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China
| | - Haridah Alias
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chuo Yew Ting
- Pharmaceutical Services Division, Sarawak State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Diplomatik, Off Jalan Bako, 93050, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Hui Meng Tan
- Urology Clinic, Ramsay Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Yulan Lin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China.
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Peres B, Campos PF. A systematic review of reminder and guidance systems for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias patients: context, barriers and facilitators. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37987633 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2023.2277821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Purpose. To present the latest available research assessing the actual impact of reminder and guidance technologies for daily activities in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia's patients, outlining design implications for these technologies.Materials and methods. The search was conducted in the ACM Digital Library, IEEExplore, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Sage Journal, ResearchGate, and SemanticScholar. An iteratively-developed Boolean search string was built including up to 18 AND/OR terms across Four categories (Memory Aids, Technology, Daily Activities, Memory Impairment). We qualitatively analyzed the findings and discussions of the findings reported in 40 studies in our corpus to determine common barriers to, and facilitators of, effective intervention implementation and adoption.Results. Forty studies fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In existing studies, individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias understand the usefulness of different functions that can be provided within an app to assist with everyday tasks. There was a high level of heterogeneity regarding the studies' location, duration, and evaluation methodology.Conclusions. There is a need for assistive reminder and guidance technologies to be tailored towards autonomy, identity and personalization. Future work should include motivating features to aid during mood changes and feelings of insecurity.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONIn existing studies, older adults with cognitive impairment understand the usefulness of different functions that can be provided within an app to assist with everyday tasks.There is a high level of heterogeneity regarding the studies' location, duration, and evaluation methodology.There is ample need for these reminder technologies to be tailored towards autonomy, identity and personalization.Future work should include motivating features to aid during mood changes and feelings of insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Peres
- Faculty of Exact Sciences and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
- Interactive Technologies Institute Polo Científico e Tecnológico da Madeira, Caminho da Penteada, Funchal, Portugal
| | - Pedro F Campos
- Faculty of Exact Sciences and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
- Interactive Technologies Institute Polo Científico e Tecnológico da Madeira, Caminho da Penteada, Funchal, Portugal
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Qin VM, Visaria A, Malhotra R. Impact of a COVID-19-Related Lockdown on the Experience of Informal Caregiving in Singapore. Gerontology 2023; 70:102-114. [PMID: 37866359 PMCID: PMC10794967 DOI: 10.1159/000534723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provision, (b) correlates of different perceptions of the impact of the lockdown on care provision, and (c) association of different perceptions of the impact with negative and positive experiences of caregiving. METHODS In the August 2020 wave of the Singapore Life Panel (SLP; nationally representative, longitudinal monthly survey of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50-70 years at baseline), 1,094 participants identified as informal caregivers reported whether their care provision became easier, remained the same, or became harder during the lockdown, compared to before the lockdown. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the association of caregiver, care recipient, and caregiving context characteristics with their perceptions. Linear regression models examined the association of their perceptions with negative and positive experience domains of the modified Caregiver Reaction Assessment. RESULTS Just over one-third (36.1%) of the informal caregivers reported that their care provision became harder during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. However, nearly one-fifth (18.0%) said that it became easier, and the rest (45.9%) said that it remained the same. Care provision was more likely to be perceived as having become harder among caregivers who were male, of Chinese ethnicity, in worse health, whose care recipients had functional limitations, who did not have caregiving support from cohabiting family members before the lockdown, and who had caregiving support from non-cohabiting family members before the lockdown. The perception that care provision became easier was less likely among caregivers who were of higher age, were unemployed, were socially isolated, and whose care recipients had functional limitations. Caregivers who perceived that care provision became harder during the lockdown were worse-off in negative experiences of caregiving. CONCLUSION A nationwide lockdown did not make care provision harder for all informal caregivers. However, informal caregivers for whom it did were more likely to have greater negative experiences of caregiving. The heterogeneity of the impact of lockdowns and the possibility of offering flexibility to non-cohabiting family members who support caregiving should be important considerations when planning for such disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky Mengqi Qin
- Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA), Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Abhijit Visaria
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rahul Malhotra
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Health Services and Systems Research (HSSR), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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Zhao XS, Gui L, Zhou LJ, Zhang B, Chen HY. Risk factors associated with the comprehensive needs of cancer caregivers in China. Support Care Cancer 2023; 31:170. [PMID: 36790489 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-07622-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer incidence and mortality rates have been rising in developing countries, especially in Asia. Cancer caregivers face unique challenges which put them at risk for burden, poor quality of life, and burnout. The purpose of this study was to investigate the comprehensive needs and associated factors of cancer caregivers, and explore the correlation with cancer patients. METHODS In Mainland China, 200 cancer patient-caregiver dyads were chosen and interviewed for a cross-sectional questionnaire survey by convenient sampling method. Cancer caregivers' comprehensive needs were assessed with Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool in cancer for Caregivers(CNAT-C), including seven domains (health and psychological problems, family and social support, healthcare staffs, information, religious/spiritual support, hospital facilities and services, and practical support). The comprehensive needs assessment tool in cancer for patients (CNAT) was used to assess patients' comprehensive needs. The sociodemographic survey was completed by both cancer patients and caregivers. The mean differences in domain scores for different groups of characteristics were compared by one-way ANOVA or non-parametric analyses, and those factors that had significant differences were selected for the multivariate regression analysis to determine the final influencing factors. The correlation between cancer patients' and caregivers' needs was evaluated by Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS The cancer caregivers' need for healthcare staff (82.60±19.56) was the highest among the seven domains, followed by the need for information (72.17±14.61) and the need for hospital facilities and services (56.44±18.22). The lowest score was the need for religious/spiritual support (28.33±16.05). Caregivers who were younger, highly educated, with high household income, and less than 1 year since diagnosis had higher scores of CNAT-C. Also sociodemographic characteristics were associated with each domain of cancer caregivers' need. Correlations between patients' and caregivers' comprehensive needs were low to moderate (0.013~0.469). CONCLUSION Cancer caregivers experience high levels of comprehensive needs, which are closely related to their sociological characteristics. The tailored interventions and mobilization of social and health care support may thus provide multiple levels of benefit across cancer trajectories. The patient-caregiver dyad should be regarded as a unit for treatment in cancer care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Shuang Zhao
- College of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Gui
- College of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ling-Jun Zhou
- College of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Zhang
- College of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Yan Chen
- College of Nursing, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, People's Republic of China
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Uneno Y, Kotera Y, Fujisawa D, Kataoka Y, Kosugi K, Murata N, Kessoku T, Ozaki A, Miyatake H, Muto M. Development of a novel COMPAssion focused online psyChoTherapy for bereaved informal caregivers: the COMPACT feasibility trial protocol. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e067187. [PMID: 36549732 PMCID: PMC9772635 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION An easy-to-access and effective psychotherapy for bereaved informal caregivers has not been established. People with higher self-compassion status tend to have lower bereavement related grief, psychotherapy focused on self-compassion can be promising for this population. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of online self-compassion focused psychotherapy for bereaved informal caregivers. METHOD AND ANALYSIS A total of 60 study participants will undergo an intervention programme comprising online sessions of 2 hours per week for five consecutive weeks and undertake postsession work. The intervention personnel will comprise psychologists who have received more than 10 hours of structured training. The primary endpoint will be assessed on the intervention completion rate, with secondary endpoints consisting of the Complicated Grief Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7, Brief Resilience Scale and Self-Compassion Scale. Evaluations will be conducted preintervention, immediately after intervention, and 4 and 12 weeks after intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Kyoto University Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, Japan (Approved ID: C1565). The results of this study will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER UMIN000048554.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Uneno
- Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kotera
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Daisuke Fujisawa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry and Palliative Care Center, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Kataoka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto Min-Iren Asukai Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
- Scientific Research Works Peer Support Group (SRWS-PSG), Osaka, Japan
- Section of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine / School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kosugi
- Department of Palliative Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Nanami Murata
- Medical School, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Takaomi Kessoku
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Fukushima, Japan
| | | | - Manabu Muto
- Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Gräler L, Bremmers L, Bakx P, van Exel J, van Bochove M. Informal care in times of a public health crisis: Objective burden, subjective burden and quality of life of caregivers in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Soc Care Community 2022; 30:e5515-e5526. [PMID: 36068677 PMCID: PMC9538241 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In the Netherlands, about one-third of the adult population provides unpaid care. Providing informal caregiving can be very straining in normal times, but the impact of a public health crisis on caregivers is largely unknown. This study focuses on the question of how caregiver burden changed following the COVID-19 pandemic, and what characteristics were related to these changes. We use self-reported data from a sample of 965 informal caregivers from the Netherlands 3 months into the pandemic to investigate how the objective burden (i.e. hours spent on caregiving) and the subjective burden had changed, and what their care-related quality of life (CarerQol) was. We found that on average the subjective burden had increased slightly (from 4.75 to 5.04 on a 0-10 scale). However, our analysis revealed that some caregivers were more affected than others. Most affected caregivers were women, and those with low income, better physical health, decreased psychological health, childcare responsibilities, longer duration of caregiving and those caring for someone with decreased physical and psychological health. On average, time spent on care remained the same (a median of 15 h per week), but certain groups of caregivers did experience a change, being those caring for people in an institution and for people with a better psychological health before the pandemic. Furthermore, caregivers experiencing changes in objective burden did not have the same characteristics as those experiencing changes in perceived burden and quality of life. This shows that the consequences of a public health crisis on caregivers cannot be captured by a focus on either objective or subjective burden measures or quality of life alone. Long-term care policies aiming to support caregivers to persevere during a future crisis should target caregivers at risk of increased subjective burden and a lower CarerQol, such as women, people with a low income and people with childcare responsibilities. Such policies should consider that reducing objective burden may not necessarily lead to a reduction in subjective burden for all caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonoor Gräler
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and ManagementErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Leonarda Bremmers
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and ManagementErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Pieter Bakx
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and ManagementErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Job van Exel
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and ManagementErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marianne van Bochove
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and ManagementErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
- Knowledge Centre for Governance of Urban TransitionsDe Haagse HogeschoolThe HagueThe Netherlands
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Martí‐Vilar M, Tortosa AC, Sales‐Galán A, Corradi G. Resilience and prosocial behaviour in Spanish care professionals of dependent persons. Health Soc Care Community 2022; 30:e6613-e6621. [PMID: 36412062 PMCID: PMC10099558 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.14110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Professional residential care providers face several stressors due to the burden of caring for dependent people. This burden may affect the way in which care is carried out. Resilience, as personal strengths, may help them to be more effective in their workplace and in their interaction with patients, and this may be related to the development of participation skills and prosocial behaviours. A total of 125 professional's caregivers from Spain responded to the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale Resilience Scale and the PB new Prosocial Conduct Scale over the years 2018 and 2019. We checked the predictive power of resilience as well as other predictors (sex, type of contract and total months worked in professional caregiving) on prosocial behaviour in caregivers' professionals with multiple regression analysis. Results showed resilience as the only significant predictor, explaining 21% of the variance in prosocial behaviour (R2 = 0.21, F(5, 115) = 6.16, p < 0.001). This indicates that resilience is a variable prediction of prosocial behaviour in health and social professionals. Resilience gets in the individual the capacity to be attentive to give answers in certain situations, being a predictor of great relevance of the prosocial behaviours. Thus, it is necessary to deepen the research on professional caregivers to be able to train and empower them in skills that improve their quality of life and by strength, that of dependent people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Martí‐Vilar
- Faculty of Psychology and Speech TherapyUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
| | | | - Alicia Sales‐Galán
- Faculty of Psychology and Speech TherapyUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
| | - Guido Corradi
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and HealthCamilo José Cela UniversityMadridSpain
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Yamaguchi M, Ogita M, Harada K. Impact of informal care with multiple medical devices on caregiver burden: A cross-sectional national survey in Japan. Health Soc Care Community 2022; 30:e2950-e2960. [PMID: 35089620 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Family caregivers provide long-term, home-based, informal medical care to patients with special healthcare needs. We examined whether informal care involving medical device use is associated with caregiver burden, considering potential risk variables as moderators. Data were collected from March to May 2019 through a Japanese public visiting care system. This system is offered to patients with severe chronic or intractable disease or impairment. After contacting government-certified offices that provide visiting care systems, the offices that agreed to participate invited dyads of patients and caregivers to complete our questionnaire. To focus on new parameters other than the caregiver factor that had been clarified previously, we aimed to analyse the data from patient-caregiver dyads. Using a questionnaire-based cross-sectional design, we asked participants about caregiver and patient characteristics, care types, and caregiver burden using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between caregiver burden and informal medical care. Data from 371 complete patient-caregiver dyads were analysed; 49.3% showed high caregiver burden, and 40.4% were administering at least one informal medical care procedure. Univariate analyses indicated a relationship between high caregiver burden among caregivers who slept less, provided care for longer periods daily, performed medical care procedures and cohabited with patients. Importantly, logistic regression analyses indicated a significant relationship between high caregiver burden and care involving multiple medical procedures (i.e. 4-6 procedures with medical devices; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.03, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) = [1.01, 4.09]). In propensity-matched participants (n = 314), results continued to show that multiple medical care procedures were significantly related to high caregiver burden (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI [1.14-4.22]). The effects of non-medical informal care on caregiver burden were moderate. This result suggests that more intensive interventions are required for patients with multiple medical care needs to reduce caregiver burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miku Yamaguchi
- Department of Nursing, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mihoko Ogita
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Harada
- Department of Nursing, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Kirby E, van Toorn G, Lwin Z. Routines of isolation? A qualitative study of informal caregiving in the context of glioma in Australia. Health Soc Care Community 2022; 30:1924-1932. [PMID: 34528743 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Informal caregiving for a person living with glioma can be both rewarding and multidimensionally challenging, given the potential for debilitating symptoms, cognitive impairment or personality changes, as early as diagnosis. There is growing evidence that, due to the demands of care, experiences and feelings of loneliness and isolation among informal caregivers are widespread, and opportunities for quality or meaningful social connectedness are lacking. While considerable research has quantified the causes and effects of loneliness and isolation in informal care contexts, the lived experience of loneliness has received relatively little attention. The aim of this study was to better understand the everyday experiences of a group of home-based informal caregivers of people living with glioma in Queensland, Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 32 informal caregivers, purposively sampled, and recruited through a tertiary hospital, in this paper, we explore how the various experiences, demands, and social and relational dynamics in/of informal care (re)produce forms of isolation and loneliness. Using the framework approach to thematic analysis, we derived four themes: (a) the 'need' to be near the care recipient, and the implications for caregiver mobility; (b) the strong sense of responsibility for care, and the virtues of 'good' caring; (c) experiences of loneliness in the company of others and (d) postponement of social connection and minimising the self. The findings, we argue, are reflective of broader social and moral norms and expectations within experiences of home-based informal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Kirby
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Georgia van Toorn
- Disability Innovation Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zarnie Lwin
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Aguilar-Latorre A, Oliván-Blázquez B, Porroche-Escudero A, Méndez-López F, García-Gallego V, Benedé-Azagra B, Magallón-Botaya R. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on depression sufferers: a qualitative study from the province of Zaragoza, Spain. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:780. [PMID: 35436858 PMCID: PMC9015282 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose The impact of COVID-19 and its control measures have exacerbated existing mental health conditions. Although the deleterious effects of mental health problems are well known, fewer studies have examined the links between the Social Determinants of Health (SDHs) and depression. This study provides insights into the relationship between SDHs and depression during the first strict lockdown in Spain, which lasted for a period of 7 weeks. Methods Fifty-two structured interviews were conducted with people diagnosed with depression during June 2020 in the province of Zaragoza (Spain). Interviews were conducted by telephone due to lockdown constraints. Inductive thematic content analysis was used to explore, develop, and define emergent categories of analysis, which were mapped against the SDH framework. Results Listening to people’s experiences of living with depression during lockdown provided insights into their concerns and coping strategies, which are greatly influenced by the conditions in which they live, their job and their age. Examples of these factors include access to and quality of physical spaces, including housing conditions and public spaces for socialising, social support, adverse working conditions which include caring responsibilities, and access to digital technologies and healthcare services. Conclusion SDHs have played a fundamental role in shaping people’s health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this study has shown that they have a considerable effect on depression outcomes. Governments should consider implementing social welfare programs to tackle both psychosocial problems and material need during crisis situations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bárbara Oliván-Blázquez
- Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain. .,Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | | | | | | | - Belén Benedé-Azagra
- Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.,Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosa Magallón-Botaya
- Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.,Aragonese Healthcare Service (SALUD), Zaragoza, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Dermatology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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11
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Greaney ML, Kunicki ZJ, Drohan MM, Nash CC, Cohen SA. Sleep Quality Among Informal Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2022; 8:23337214211057387. [PMID: 35024381 PMCID: PMC8744195 DOI: 10.1177/23337214211057387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is an integral component of health. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality among informal caregivers, individuals who provide unpaid care or assistance to family members or friends, assisting older adults is not well understood. Therefore, informal caregivers in the United States providing care for individuals aged 50+ were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk, an online platform for enrolling study participants into social and behavioral science research, to complete an online survey. The sample of informal caregivers (n = 835) was 69% male and 55% non-Hispanic. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed to assess the associations between sleep disturbance scores (SDS) and sleep-related impairment scores (SIS) and caregiving-related measures (hours caregiving/week, length of time spent caregiving, and caregiver burden), demographics, and region of the United States. The analysis determined that Black (β = 2.6, 95% CI [-4.3, -0.9]) and Asian informal caregivers (β = -1.8, 95% CI [-3.4, -0.3]) had lower mean SIS than White caregivers, the referent group. In addition, increasing caregiver burden was associated with increased SDS (β = 0.8, 95% CI [0.6, 1.0]) and SIS (β = 1.3, 95% CI [0.7, 1.6]). In conclusion, higher caregiver burden was associated with higher SIS and SDS, suggesting that informal caregivers' sleep should be assessed, and when needed interventions should be offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary L. Greaney
- Department of Health Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Zachary J. Kunicki
- Department of Psychiatry and Human
Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Meghan M. Drohan
- Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Caitlin C. Nash
- Department of Health Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Steven A. Cohen
- Department of Health Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
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Kittipimpanon K, Wangpitipanit S. Factors Associated with Quality of Care Among Dependent Older Persons in the Community. J Multidiscip Healthc 2021; 14:2651-2655. [PMID: 34588780 PMCID: PMC8473563 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s323851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dependent older persons who are limited in their daily activities affect physical, mental, social ability needs help in the family and the community caregiving. Objective The study aimed to analyze the relationship between caregivers' characteristics and health conditions, social support, the burden of care, and the quality of respect for the dependent older persons. Methods The descriptive study design applies in using a Donabedian framework, including structure, process, and outcome with House's social support. The sample consists of 102 family caregivers currently caring older people with dependency in Bangkok, Thailand. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and care quality assessments through tested content validity from 3 health experts, which received a score of 0.97. Descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the information and tested using Spearman's rank correlation; acceptable criteria were obtained before collecting the actual data. Results The results showed that they were statistically significantly related to social support and quality of care. When considering each aspect, social support was associated with the quality of physical and psychological care. Resource social support was to relate the quality of medical and financial aspects. Social support of acceptance and appreciation is associated with quality, environmental, physical, psychological, human rights, and economic elements; information social support was significantly related to information supervision quality. Discussion This study found that personal factors in age and comorbidity affect the burden of care in family caregivers. In addition, good social support will affect the quality of respect for the dependent older persons in psychological, medical, human rights, and financial dimensions. In particular, the appraisal support, incredible care, attentiveness, and dedication to care will result in a good quality of care in all areas except the quality of physical dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamonrat Kittipimpanon
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Supichaya Wangpitipanit
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Figueiredo LC, Gratão ACM, Barbosa GC, Monteiro DQ, Melo BRDS, Pelegrini LNDC, Sato TDO. Musculoskeletal symptoms in formal and informal caregivers of elderly people. Rev Bras Enferm 2021; 75:e20210249. [PMID: 34614109 DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to evaluate musculoskeletal symptoms in formal and informal caregivers of elderly people, and check association with personal and work-related factors. METHODS this is a cross-sectional study. Instruments for assessment were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20, Borg's effort perception scale and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. RESULTS informal caregivers had been working for a longer time (60.2% vs. 41%), had more hours of work (37.4% >12h for day), less time off (85.4% vs. 2.5%) and lack of care guidelines (90.2%). The region with the most musculoskeletal symptoms was the spine and the greater dependence of the elderly, the greater the chances of developing musculoskeletal symptoms (OR= 1.3, 95% CI= 1.1-1.6, p <0.05). CONCLUSION personal and work-related factors were more prevalent in informal group and the elderly person's dependence interferes with the increase in musculoskeletal symptoms of caregivers.
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Lan X, Wu Q, Chen X, Jin S, Yi B. Caregiver burden among informal caregivers of hospitalized patients with frailty: A cross-sectional survey. Geriatr Nurs 2021; 42:948-954. [PMID: 34134042 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the status of caregiver burden among informal caregivers of hospitalized frail older patients and explore the associated factors. A total of 191 frail older patients and their informal caregivers were recruited from the inpatient units of the three teaching hospitals. We collected data using the FRAIL scale, the Zarit Burden Interview, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. We used descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression for the data analysis. The caregivers of hospitalized frail older patients experienced a moderate caregiver burden (26.476±11.289). The regression model for caregiver burden was significant. Male caregivers, taking care of patients before hospitalization, experiencing negative emotions, and negative coping styles were significantly associated with caregiver burden, F (7, 183) = 15.13, p <. 001. The findings suggest that early identification of caregiver burden and focused interventions for alleviating caregiver burden are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyan Lan
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China; Fujian Medical University Affiliated Clinical Medical Institute, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Qingqing Wu
- The Second Affiliated of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University
| | - Xiaohuan Chen
- Fujian Medical University Affiliated Clinical Medical Institute, Fuzhou, China; Nursing Department, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Shuang Jin
- Fujian Medical University Affiliated Clinical Medical Institute, Fuzhou, China; Nursing Department, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Bilan Yi
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China; Fujian Medical University Affiliated Clinical Medical Institute, Fuzhou, China
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