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The association between medical diagnosis and caregiver burden : a cross-sectional study of recipients of informal support and caregivers from the general population study ‘Good Aging in Skåne’, Sweden

Elmståhl, Sölve LU ; Dahlrup, Beth LU ; Ekström, Henrik LU and Nordell, Eva LU (2018) In Aging clinical and experimental research 30(9). p.1023-1032
Abstract

Background: Different kinds of chronic diseases might imply different dimensions of caregiver burden, not previously described among the caregivers to recipients from the general elder population. Aim: The main objective was to examine differences in burden between the 343 caregivers to persons with different diagnoses. Methods: A group of elderly recipients of informal care (n = 343) from the general population study ‘Good Aging in Skåne’ (GÅS) Sweden, were divided into five diagnostic groups: dementia (n = 90), heart and lung diseases (n = 48), stroke (n = 62), fractures (n = 66), depression (n = 40) and the group “other”, consisting of different diagnoses (n = 37) according to ICD-10. Differences in burden were analyzed using the... (More)

Background: Different kinds of chronic diseases might imply different dimensions of caregiver burden, not previously described among the caregivers to recipients from the general elder population. Aim: The main objective was to examine differences in burden between the 343 caregivers to persons with different diagnoses. Methods: A group of elderly recipients of informal care (n = 343) from the general population study ‘Good Aging in Skåne’ (GÅS) Sweden, were divided into five diagnostic groups: dementia (n = 90), heart and lung diseases (n = 48), stroke (n = 62), fractures (n = 66), depression (n = 40) and the group “other”, consisting of different diagnoses (n = 37) according to ICD-10. Differences in burden were analyzed using the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS), a 22-item scale consisting of five dimensions: general strain, isolation, disappointment, emotional involvement and environmental burden. A total burden index comprises the mean of all the 22 items and a higher score indicates a higher burden. Results: The most common diagnosis associated to caregiving was dementia and fracture and the median hours weekly for informal support with instrumental ADL for the five diagnostic groups ranged from 7 to 45 h for spouses and from 4 to 7 h for parents. The highest proportion of caregivers scoring high total burden was seen among recipients with dementia (50%) and depression (38%); the OR for high total burden for the dementia group was 4.26 (2.29–7.92) and depression group 2.38 (1.08–5.24) adjusted for covariates like age, gender and ADL and these two groups had higher self-perception of burden in all the dimensions, especially the dimension’s emotional burden and strain. Conclusion: Informal support constitutes a substantial time for instrumental ADL for the diseased elders. Caregivers to persons with dementia and depression experience high burden.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Caregiver burden, Dementia, Depression, Diagnosis, HRQoL, Informal support, Scale
in
Aging clinical and experimental research
volume
30
issue
9
pages
1023 - 1032
publisher
Kurtis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85038020198
  • pmid:29236217
ISSN
1594-0667
DOI
10.1007/s40520-017-0870-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c39a9d5c-685c-43be-a77b-74fa23633169
date added to LUP
2018-01-04 11:02:10
date last changed
2024-05-27 03:33:38
@article{c39a9d5c-685c-43be-a77b-74fa23633169,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Different kinds of chronic diseases might imply different dimensions of caregiver burden, not previously described among the caregivers to recipients from the general elder population. Aim: The main objective was to examine differences in burden between the 343 caregivers to persons with different diagnoses. Methods: A group of elderly recipients of informal care (n = 343) from the general population study ‘Good Aging in Skåne’ (GÅS) Sweden, were divided into five diagnostic groups: dementia (n = 90), heart and lung diseases (n = 48), stroke (n = 62), fractures (n = 66), depression (n = 40) and the group “other”, consisting of different diagnoses (n = 37) according to ICD-10. Differences in burden were analyzed using the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS), a 22-item scale consisting of five dimensions: general strain, isolation, disappointment, emotional involvement and environmental burden. A total burden index comprises the mean of all the 22 items and a higher score indicates a higher burden. Results: The most common diagnosis associated to caregiving was dementia and fracture and the median hours weekly for informal support with instrumental ADL for the five diagnostic groups ranged from 7 to 45 h for spouses and from 4 to 7 h for parents. The highest proportion of caregivers scoring high total burden was seen among recipients with dementia (50%) and depression (38%); the OR for high total burden for the dementia group was 4.26 (2.29–7.92) and depression group 2.38 (1.08–5.24) adjusted for covariates like age, gender and ADL and these two groups had higher self-perception of burden in all the dimensions, especially the dimension’s emotional burden and strain. Conclusion: Informal support constitutes a substantial time for instrumental ADL for the diseased elders. Caregivers to persons with dementia and depression experience high burden.</p>}},
  author       = {{Elmståhl, Sölve and Dahlrup, Beth and Ekström, Henrik and Nordell, Eva}},
  issn         = {{1594-0667}},
  keywords     = {{Caregiver burden; Dementia; Depression; Diagnosis; HRQoL; Informal support; Scale}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{1023--1032}},
  publisher    = {{Kurtis}},
  series       = {{Aging clinical and experimental research}},
  title        = {{The association between medical diagnosis and caregiver burden : a cross-sectional study of recipients of informal support and caregivers from the general population study ‘Good Aging in Skåne’, Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0870-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s40520-017-0870-0}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}