Pakenham Kenneth I
Behaviour Research and Therapy Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia.
Disabil Rehabil. 2005 Sep 2;27(17):985-97. doi: 10.1080/09638280500052583.
This study examined benefit finding in MS carers including the dimensionality of benefit finding, relations between carer and care recipient benefit finding, and the effects of carer benefit finding on carer positive and negative adjustment domains.
A total of 267 carers and their care recipients completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 3 months later, Time 2 (n = 155). Illness data were collected at Time 1, and number of problems, stress appraisal, benefit finding, negative (global distress, negative affect) and positive (life satisfaction, positive affect, dyadic adjustment) adjustment domains were measured at Time 2.
Qualitative data revealed seven benefit finding themes, two of which were adequately represented by the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS). Factor analyses indicated two factors (Personal Growth, Family Relations Growth) which were psychometrically sound and showed differential relations with illness and adjustment domains. Although care recipients reported higher levels of benefit finding than carers, their benefit finding reports regarding personal growth were correlated. The carer BFS factors were positively related to carer and care recipient dyadic adjustment. Care recipient benefit finding was unrelated to carer adjustment domains. After controlling for the effects of demographics, care recipient characteristics, problems and appraisal, carer benefit finding was related to carer positive adjustment domains and unrelated to carer negative adjustment domains.
Findings support the role of benefit finding in sustaining positive psychological states and the communal search for meaning within carer -- care recipient dyads.
本研究探讨了多发性硬化症患者照料者的获益发现，包括获益发现的维度、照料者与被照料者获益发现之间的关系，以及照料者获益发现对应照料者积极和消极适应领域的影响。
共有267名照料者及其被照料者在第1次和3个月后的第2次完成了问卷调查（n = 155）。在第1次收集疾病数据，在第2次测量问题数量、压力评估、获益发现、消极（总体困扰、消极情绪）和积极（生活满意度、积极情绪、二元适应）适应领域。
定性数据揭示了七个获益发现主题，其中两个主题在获益发现量表（BFS）中得到了充分体现。因子分析表明存在两个因子（个人成长、家庭关系成长），这两个因子在心理测量学上是合理的，并且与疾病和适应领域呈现出不同的关系。尽管被照料者报告的获益发现水平高于照料者，但他们关于个人成长的获益发现报告是相关的。照料者的BFS因子与照料者和被照料者的二元适应呈正相关。被照料者的获益发现与照料者的适应领域无关。在控制了人口统计学、被照料者特征、问题和评估的影响后，照料者的获益发现与照料者的积极适应领域相关，与照料者的消极适应领域无关。
研究结果支持了获益发现在维持积极心理状态以及照料者 - 被照料者二元组内共同寻求意义方面的作用。
