J Neurosci Nurs. 2020 Dec;52(6):277-283. doi: 10.1097/JNN.0000000000000552.
Informal caregiving of stroke survivors often begins with intensity compared with the linear caregiving trajectories in progressive conditions. Informal caregivers of stroke survivors are often inadequately prepared for their caregiving role, which can have detrimental effects on their well-being. A greater depth of understanding about caregiving burden is needed to identify caregivers in most need of intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine caregiver burden and associated factors among a cohort of informal caregivers of stroke survivors.
A cross-sectional study of 88 informal caregivers of stroke survivors was completed. Caregiver burden was determined with the Zarit Burden Interview, caregiver depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and stroke survivor functional disability was assessed with the Barthel Index. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with caregiver burden.
Forty-three informal caregivers (49%) reported minimal or no caregiver burden, 30 (34%) reported mild to moderate caregiver burden, and 15 (17%) reported moderate to severe caregiver burden. Stroke survivor functional disability was associated with informal caregiver burden (P = .0387). The odds of having mild to moderate caregiver burden were 3.7 times higher for informal caregivers of stroke survivors with moderate to severe functional disability than for caregivers of stroke survivors with no functional disability. The presence of caregiver depressive symptoms was highly correlated with caregiver burden (P < .001).
Caregivers of stroke survivors with functional disabilities and caregivers experiencing depressive symptoms may have severer caregiver burden. Trials of interventions aimed at decreasing informal caregiver burden should consider the potential impact of stroke survivors' functional disability and the presence of depressive symptoms.
脑卒中幸存者的非正式照护通常开始时强度较大，而进展性疾病的照护轨迹呈线性。脑卒中幸存者的非正式照护者通常没有为其照护角色做好充分准备，这可能对他们的幸福感产生不利影响。为了确定最需要干预的照护者，需要更深入地了解照护负担。本研究旨在调查脑卒中幸存者的非正式照护者的照护负担及相关因素。
完成了一项对 88 名脑卒中幸存者非正式照护者的横断面研究。采用 Zarit 负担量表评估照护者负担，采用患者健康问卷-9 评估照护者抑郁症状，采用巴氏指数评估脑卒中幸存者的功能残疾。采用有序逻辑回归分析确定与照护者负担相关的独立因素。
43 名（49%）非正式照护者报告负担轻微或无负担，30 名（34%）报告轻度至中度负担，15 名（17%）报告中度至重度负担。脑卒中幸存者的功能残疾与非正式照护者的负担相关（P=0.0387）。脑卒中幸存者中度至重度功能残疾的非正式照护者发生轻度至中度照护负担的可能性是无功能残疾照护者的 3.7 倍。照护者抑郁症状的存在与照护者负担高度相关（P<0.001）。
有功能障碍的脑卒中幸存者的照护者和出现抑郁症状的照护者可能会有更严重的照护负担。旨在减轻非正式照护者负担的干预试验应考虑脑卒中幸存者的功能残疾和抑郁症状的存在对其产生的潜在影响。
