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Cited by 540Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNursing care and researchFamily Caregiving in Mental Illness

Caring for a relative with dementia: family caregiver burden

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Papastavrou, Evridiki, Kalokerinou, Athena, Papacostas, Savvas S., Tsangari, Haritini, Sourtzi, Panagiota·2007·Journal of Advanced Nursing
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04250.x
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Abstract

AIM: This paper is a report of part of a study to investigate the burden experienced by families giving care to a relative with dementia, the consequences of care for the mental health of the primary caregiver and the strategies families use to cope with the care giving stressors. BACKGROUND: The cost of caring for people with dementia is enormous, both monetary and psychological. Partners, relatives and friends who take care of patients experience emotional, physical and financial stress, and care giving demands are central to decisions on patient institutionalization. METHOD: A volunteer sample of 172 caregiver/care recipient dyads participated in the study in Cyprus in 2004-2005. All patients were suffering from probable Alzheimer's type dementia and were recruited from neurology clinics. Data were collected using the Memory and Behaviour Problem Checklist, Burden Interview, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and Ways of Coping Questionnaire. FINDINGS: The results showed that 68.02% of caregivers were highly burdened and 65% exhibited depressive symptoms. Burden was related to patient psychopathology and caregiver sex, income and level of education. There was no statistically significant difference in level of burden or depression when patients lived in the community or in institutions. High scores in the burden scale were associated with use of emotional-focused coping strategies, while less burdened relatives used more problem-solving approaches to care-giving demands. CONCLUSION: Caregivers, especially women, need individualized, specific training in how to understand and manage the behaviour of relatives with dementia and how to cope with their own feelings.

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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 Papastavrou et al, 2007

    The Participants and Results sections describe the profile of caregivers in this earlier Cyprus study, so it can serve as an example of a study conducted elsewhere. The paper does not compare its caregiver profile with the citing authors’ sample or establish that the profiles did not differ significantly; its reported significance tests concern other variables. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • The impact on the carer of looking after an elderly relative with cognitive impairment, behavioural problems or dementia leads to high rates of depressive disorders, anxiety, feelings of burden and poor physical health.

    “Reports in the literature show that the impact on the carer of looking after an elderly relative with cognitive impairment, behavioural problems or dementia leads to high rates of depressive disorders, anxiety, feelings of burden and poor physical health (Papastavrou et al, 2007; Brodaty & Donkin, 2009; Tremont, 2011).”

    From Dementia and family burden of care in Lebanon (2017) · cites this paper as Papastavrou et al, 2007

    The Introduction and 'Consequences of burden' sections link dementia caregiving to burden, depression and declining physical health. The paper reports depressive symptoms and risk of clinical depression, not diagnosed depressive disorders; the passages do not establish high rates of anxiety. Page numbers were not supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Informal caregiver burden is well documented in the dementia literature, and burden increases with poor quality and lack of continuity of care.

    “Informal caregiver burden is well documented in the dementia literature [40], as is the increase of burden with poor quality and lack of continuity of care [41].”

    From Towards defining quality in home care for persons living with dementia (2022) · cites this paper as [40]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Adams K.B. (2006) The transition to care giving: the experience of family members embarking on the dementia care giving career. Journal of Gerontology and Social Work 47(3-4), 3-29.
  2. Collins C. & Jones R. (1997) Emotional distress and morbidity in dementia carers: a matched comparison of husbands and wives. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 12, 1168-1173.
  3. Donaldson C., Tarrier N. & Burns A. (1998) Determinants of carer stressing Alzheimer's disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 13, 248-256.
  4. Karadermas E. (1998) The adjustment in Greek, of a measuring scale of coping strategies in stressful situations. Psychology 5(3), 260- 275.
  5. Nagatomo I., Akasaki Y., Uchida M., Tominaga M. & Hashiguchi W. (1999) Gender of demented patients and specific family re- lationship of caregiver to patients influence mental fatigue and burdens on relatives as caregivers. International Journal of Ger- iatric Psychiatry 14, 618-625.
  6. Papastavrou E. (2005) The Family Burden of Caregiving of Demented Relatives. PhD Thesis, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
  7. Zanetti O., Frisoni G.B., Bianchetti A., Tamanza G., Cigoli V. & Trabucchi M. (1998) Depressive symptoms of Alzheimer care- givers mainly due to personal rather than patient factors. Inter- national Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 13, 358-367.
  8. Zarit S.H. (1990) Concepts and Measures in Family Caregiving Research. Paper presented at the conference on Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Family Caregiving Research, University of Toronto, Toronto.

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Authors
Papastavrou, E., Kalokerinou, A., Papacostas, S. S., Tsangari, H., & Sourtzi, P.
Affiliations
  • Cyprus University of Technology (CY)
  • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
  • University of Rochester Medicine (US)
  • Intercollege (CY)
Corresponding author
Papastavrou, Evridiki
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2007-04-17
Volume
58
Issue
5
Pages
446-457
ISSN
  • 0309-2402 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2648
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04250.x
OpenAlex
W2148440488
Cited by
540
References
105
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 28
FWCI
11.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Advanced Nursing (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Ktisis at Cyprus University of Technology (Cyprus University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Research Promotion Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
Keywords
dementia caregiving, family caregivers, caregiver burden, Alzheimer's disease, depressive symptoms, coping strategies, emotion-focused coping, problem-solving coping, caregiver mental health, institutionalization, caregiver education
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Cyprus, Depressive Disorder, Family, Family Health, Female, Home Nursing, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Caregivers, Cost of Illness

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