Perceived burden among spouse, adult child, and parent caregivers

Abstract

Aims: To identify what factors are associated with the caregiver burden of spouse caregivers, adult child caregivers, and parent caregivers.

Background: Caregivers often feel stressed and perceive caregiving as a burden. The caregiver burden has been little studied from the perspective of the personal relationship between caregiver and care recipient.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A random sample of 4,000 caregivers in Finland was drawn in 2014 and those who remained either spouse, adult child, or parent caregivers at data collection were included in the analysis (N = 1,062). Data collection included recipients' characteristics. Caregivers' perceived burden was measured using the Caregivers of Older People in Europe index. General linear models were used to explain perceived caregiver burden.

Results: Care recipients' low level of cognitive function was associated with greater perceived burden. Higher quality of support was associated with lower perceived burden among female and male spouse caregivers, daughter caregivers, and mother caregivers. Low cognitive function explained 3-6% and high quality of support 2-5% of the total variation in the burden explained by the models, which ranged between 45-55%.

Conclusion: Because cognitive challenges of care recipient are associated with greater perceived burden and high quality of support with lower burden among most of the caregiver groups, high-quality tailored nursing interventions will be needed especially for the caregivers of the most frail care recipients.

Keywords: adult child caregiver; caregiving; general linear models; nursing; parent caregiver; perceived caregiver burden; spouse caregiver.