Assessing family caregiver's mental health using a statistically derived cut-off score for the Zarit Burden Interview
Abstract
Decades of research have confirmed that being a family caregiver is a stressful role. However, the point at which these stressors constitute a real risk for decreased mental health has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to determine a statistically valid cut-off score for the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) in order to identify family caregivers at risk for depression and in need of further assessment and intervention. The ZBI and the Geriatric Depression Scale or the CES-D were administered to three different populations of family caregivers of older adults: stroke caregivers (n=80), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caregivers (n=48), and general disability caregivers (n=70). Using three different statistical methods, a ZBI cut-off score was determined. Next, contingency analysis was used to compare depression scale scores and ZBI cut-offs for the three groups of caregivers. Findings suggest that a cut-off score ranging from 24-26 has significant predictive validity for identifying caregivers at risk for depression. A ZBI cut-off of 24 correctly identified 72% of caregivers with probable depression. The validity of ZBI cut-offs scores warrants further confirmation with larger samples. Valid cut-off scores would enable health care providers to assess family caregivers at risk and provide necessary interventions to improve their quality of life in this important role.
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The carers' profile in our sample did not differ significantly from that in earlier studies in Lebanon and elsewhere.
“The carers’ profile in our sample did not differ significantly from that in earlier studies in Lebanon and elsewhere (Schreiner et al, 2006; Papastavrou et al, 2007)”
From Dementia and family burden of care in Lebanon (2017) · cites this paper as Schreiner et al, 2006
Cites
Caregiving as a Risk Factor for Mortality: The Caregiver Health Effects Study
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Contributors to and Mediators of Psychological Well-Being for Informal Caregivers
Yates, M. E., Tennstedt, S., & Chang, B.-H. (1999) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences · doi:10.1093/geronb/54b.1.p12 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
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Dementia and caregiver burden: A three‐year longitudinal study
Connors, M. H., Seeher, K., Teixeira‐Pinto, A., Woodward, M., Ames, D., & Brodaty, H. (2020) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.5244 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
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Dementia and family burden of care in Lebanon
Chaaya, M., Phung, K., Atweh, S., El Asmar, K., Karam, G., Khoury, R., Ghandour, L., Ghusn, H., Assaad, S., Prince, M., et al. (2017) · BJPsych. International · doi:10.1192/s2056474000001574 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“The carers’ profile in our sample did not differ significantly from that in earlier studies in Lebanon and elsewhere (Schreiner et al, 2006; Papastavrou et al, 2007), where it has been found that burden is greater for those managing someone with dementia (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009; Tremont, 2011;…”
BackgroundResult
- Authors
- Schreiner, A. S., Morimoto, T., Arai, Y., & Zarit, S.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Nara Medical University (JP)
- c National Institute for Longevity Sciences , Japan
- Corresponding author
- Schreiner, A. S.
- Venue
- Aging & Mental Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2006-03-01
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-111
- ISSN
- 1360-7863 (ISSN-L)
- 1364-6915
- OpenAlex
- W2159528333
- Cited by
- 254
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 15.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Aging & Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Keywords
- family caregivers, Zarit Burden Interview, caregiver burden, cut-off values, depression screening, caregiver mental health, stroke caregivers, Geriatric Depression Scale, CES-D, predictive validity
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Japan, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Caregivers, Stroke, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
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