Barbic Skye P, Mayo Nancy E, White Carole L, Bartlett Susan J
Social Aetiology of Mental Illness Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell, Suite 1111, Toronto, ON, M5S 2G8, Canada,
Qual Life Res. 2014 Dec;23(10):2865-72. doi: 10.1007/s11136-014-0718-4. Epub 2014 May 23.
Emotional vitality may play an important role in determining whether informal caregivers are able to successfully adopt and persist in their roles. This study describes a content validation of a conceptual model of emotional vitality in informal caregivers.
A secondary content analysis was performed on transcripts of 30 caregivers who were interviewed about their quality of life in relation to assuming the role of informal caregiver for a family member who had experienced a recent stroke. Caregivers discussed changes in their own health, relationships, roles, finances, participation, and mood after assuming the caregiving role. Using a thematic inductive approach, two raters independently coded the presence and frequency of physical, emotional, and social impacts associated with the caregiving role in order to further develop and validate a conceptual model of caregiver emotional vitality.
The interviews provided information that affirmed the relevance of four themes relevant to caregiver emotional vitality previously identified: physical health and well-being; mood regulation; sense of control/mastery of new skills; and participation in meaningful activity. An additional theme of support and recognition from others also emerged.
Adopting the informal caregiving role results in major impacts to the caregiver's physical, emotional, and social health. Five core domains appear to meaningfully contribute to emotional vitality of caregivers and may influence their ability to persist in this role over time. Many of the factors that influence emotional vitality in caregivers are potentially modifiable. This new model offers new opportunities for rehabilitation specialists and allied health professionals to develop skill-building interventions that may help caregivers successfully adapt and thrive in the caregiving role.
情感活力在决定非正式照料者能否成功承担并持续履行其角色方面可能起着重要作用。本研究描述了非正式照料者情感活力概念模型的内容效度验证。
对30名照料者的访谈记录进行二次内容分析，这些照料者就其作为近期中风家庭成员的非正式照料者所体验的生活质量接受了访谈。照料者们讨论了承担照料角色后自身健康、人际关系、角色、财务、参与度和情绪方面的变化。采用主题归纳法，两名编码员独立对与照料角色相关的身体、情感和社会影响的存在情况及频率进行编码，以进一步完善和验证照料者情感活力的概念模型。
访谈提供的信息证实了先前确定的与照料者情感活力相关的四个主题的相关性：身体健康与幸福；情绪调节；对新技能的掌控感；以及参与有意义的活动。还出现了他人支持与认可这一额外主题。
承担非正式照料角色会对照料者的身体、情感和社会健康产生重大影响。五个核心领域似乎对照料者的情感活力有显著贡献，并可能影响他们长期持续履行这一角色的能力。许多影响照料者情感活力的因素可能是可改变的。这个新模型为康复专家和相关健康专业人员提供了新机会，以开发技能培养干预措施，帮助照料者在照料角色中成功适应并茁壮成长。
