Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.
BMC Geriatr. 2023 Aug 8;23(1):475. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-04129-0.
Caregiving is a draining role that inflicts a significant level of burden upon caregivers for older people with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). Caregiver burden is associated with poor health outcomes for both the people with BPSD and their caregivers. This study explored the burden of care and coping strategies used by informal caregivers of older people with BPSD in rural Southwestern Uganda.
This was a qualitative study among informal caregivers of older people with BPSD in Rubanda and Rukiga districts. We conducted in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 27 caregivers using an interview guide. The interviews were conducted in the local language, audio recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and thematically analyzed.
There were two major themes: caregiver burden and coping strategies. Caregiver burden was described as financial, physical, psychological and social. Caregivers mainly used emotion-focused coping strategies (religious coping, acceptance and emotional support seeking). Problem-focused coping strategies (planning) and dysfunctional coping strategies (self-distraction) were used to a lesser extent.
Informal caregivers of people with BPSD adopted both emotional and problem-focused coping strategies to cope with the burden of care for people with BPSD. Such coping strategies seemed to lighten the burden of caring, in the long motivating the caregivers to continue with the caring role.
照顾行为和心理症状的痴呆症（BPSD）老年人是一项耗费精力的角色，会给照顾者带来很大的负担。照顾者负担与 BPSD 患者及其照顾者的健康状况不佳有关。本研究探讨了乌干达西南部农村地区 BPSD 老年患者的非正式照顾者的照顾负担和应对策略。
这是一项在 Rubanda 和 Rukiga 地区 BPSD 老年患者的非正式照顾者中进行的定性研究。我们使用访谈指南对 27 名有目的的照顾者进行了深入访谈。访谈以当地语言进行，录音，转录，翻译成英文，并进行主题分析。
有两个主要主题：照顾者负担和应对策略。照顾者负担被描述为经济、身体、心理和社会方面的负担。照顾者主要使用情绪聚焦的应对策略（宗教应对、接受和寻求情感支持）。问题聚焦的应对策略（计划）和功能失调的应对策略（自我分心）的使用程度较低。
BPSD 患者的非正式照顾者采用了情感和问题聚焦的应对策略来应对 BPSD 患者的照顾负担。这些应对策略似乎减轻了照顾的负担，从长远来看，激励照顾者继续承担照顾角色。
