Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 18;19(14):8722. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148722.
Informal caregivers are at risk of caregiver burden, and physical proximity to the care recipient may add to this negative outcome. Yet, individual differences in emotional proximity to the care recipient such as attachment orientations may contribute to caregivers' comfort towards different degrees of physical proximity, leading to varying levels of burden. The current study is the first to explore the role of physical proximity on caregiver burden as moderated by attachment orientations. A sample of 162 Israeli caregivers who are active users of the Camoni website completed our online survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, including a self-reported questionnaire on the physical proximity to the care recipient, were collected. Caregivers' attachment orientations were assessed with the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures questionnaire. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Caregiver Burden Inventory. Multiple regression and simple slope analyses were conducted. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively associated with burden, whereas physical proximity was not. Attachment avoidance, but not attachment anxiety, moderated the association between physical proximity and caregiver burden, with caregivers who live closer to their care recipient experiencing greater burden when high levels of avoidance were present. Our findings reveal the complex dynamics between attachment orientations and physical proximity in the context of informal care, highlighting the need for better integration of these two interlinked constructs in both care research and practice.
非专业照料者面临着照料者负担的风险，而与照料对象的身体接近可能会增加这种负面结果。然而，与照料对象的情感接近的个体差异，如依恋取向，可能会导致照料者对不同程度的身体接近感到舒适，从而导致不同程度的负担。本研究首次探讨了依恋取向对身体接近与照料者负担之间关系的调节作用。162 名以色列照料者积极使用 Camoni 网站，完成了我们的在线调查。收集了社会人口统计学特征，包括一份关于与照料对象身体接近的自我报告问卷。用亲密关系经验-关系结构问卷评估了照料者的依恋取向。使用照料者负担量表评估了照料者负担。进行了多元回归和简单斜率分析。依恋焦虑和回避与负担呈正相关，而身体接近则没有。依恋回避，而不是依恋焦虑，调节了身体接近与照料者负担之间的关系，当回避水平较高时，与照料对象住得更近的照料者会感到更大的负担。我们的研究结果揭示了非正式照料情境中依恋取向和身体接近之间的复杂动态，强调了在照料研究和实践中更好地整合这两个相互关联的结构的必要性。
