Broll Jan, Schäfer Sarah K, Lüdecke Daniel, Nickel Stefan, Lieb Klaus, Helmreich Isabella
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Wallstraße 7, D-55122, Mainz, Germany.
Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychodiagnostics, Technical University of Braunschweig, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
BMC Nurs. 2025 May 2;24(1):489. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03125-6.
This study examines the impact of non-care-related stressors and resilience factors on the mental health of caregivers for chronically ill and disabled children. It aims to identify the daily stressors and protective factors most relevant to caregiver well-being.
A total of 202 caregivers (predominantly female, aged 25-59) participated in a survey measuring exposure to daily micro-stressors, such as household tasks and financial pressures, and macro-stressors, such as significant life events. Resilience factors, including social support and internal locus of control, were also assessed. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses explored the relationship between stressors, resilience factors, and psychological distress.
Micro-stressors were strongly associated with higher levels of psychological distress, underscoring the cumulative burden of frequent, daily stressors. In contrast, macro-stressors had no significant impact on distress, possibly due to their lower frequency or differences in perception. Resilience factors, particularly social support and internal locus of control, buffered against distress, demonstrating their protective role. Internal locus of control moderated the relationship between micro-stressors and distress, indicating that caregivers who felt greater personal control over their circumstances were better able to manage the negative effects of daily stressors.
The findings highlight the significant toll of daily micro-stressors on caregivers' mental health and emphasize the important role of resilience factors in mitigating this burden. Strengthening caregivers' social networks and fostering internal control beliefs could be key components of interventions designed to improve their well-being. These results suggest that supporting caregivers is essential not only to enhance their quality of life but also to sustain their caregiving roles. Further research should investigate the long-term effects of interventions targeting resilience and explore additional protective factors that may buffer against daily stressors in this vulnerable population. These findings have important implications for disability and rehabilitation services aiming to provide holistic caregiver support.
DRKS00027465, 2022-01-04 (German Clinical Trials Register); NCT05418205, 2022-03-01 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
本研究探讨与照护无关的压力源和复原力因素对慢性病患儿和残疾儿童照护者心理健康的影响。其目的是确定与照护者幸福感最相关的日常压力源和保护因素。
共有202名照护者（主要为女性，年龄在25至59岁之间）参与了一项调查，该调查测量了他们暴露于日常微压力源（如家务和经济压力）和宏观压力源（如重大生活事件）的情况。还评估了复原力因素，包括社会支持和内控点。描述性统计和回归分析探讨了压力源、复原力因素与心理困扰之间的关系。
微压力源与较高水平的心理困扰密切相关，这凸显了频繁的日常压力源的累积负担。相比之下，宏观压力源对困扰没有显著影响，这可能是由于其发生频率较低或认知差异所致。复原力因素，特别是社会支持和内控点，对困扰起到了缓冲作用，证明了它们的保护作用。内控点调节了微压力源与困扰之间的关系，表明对照护者自身情况有更强个人掌控感的人能够更好地应对日常压力源的负面影响。
研究结果凸显了日常微压力源对照护者心理健康造成的巨大影响，并强调了复原力因素在减轻这一负担方面的重要作用。加强照护者的社交网络和培养内控信念可能是旨在改善其幸福感的干预措施的关键组成部分。这些结果表明，支持照护者不仅对于提高他们的生活质量至关重要，而且对于维持他们的照护角色也至关重要。进一步的研究应调查针对复原力的干预措施的长期影响，并探索可能缓冲这一弱势群体日常压力源的其他保护因素。这些发现对于旨在提供全面照护者支持的残疾与康复服务具有重要意义。
DRKS00027465，2022年1月4日（德国临床试验注册中心）；NCT05418205, 2022年3月1日（美国国立医学图书馆临床试验数据库）。
