Caregivers' Perceived Caregiving-Related Stress and Mental Health Status: A Pilot Study

The exponential rise in the elderly population has resulted in a comparable rise in the number of primary caregivers. Previous research has shown that caregiving may increase stress, burden and burnout in primary caregivers. The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between (a) caregiving-related stress (CRS) on physical, mental health and overall well-being (b) resilience traits and CRS. A survey instrument was developed based on a comprehensive literature review and tested for face and content validity, and stability reliability. Internal consistency reliability was also established a priori. The survey was administered to a sample of caregivers aged 18 and older, enrolled in the Caregiving Assistance Network in Cincinnati, OH (N = 165). A total of 52 primary caregivers completed the survey (32% response rate). A significant inverse correlation was found between CRS and caregiver mental health (r = -0.5003, r = -0.5254, p = .05) that is, as CRS increased perceived mental health decreased, irrespective of the dependence level of care-recipients. Regarding resilience traits and protective factors, 86% of caregivers reported believing in God or a Higher Power and among believers 82% felt that this belief helped them to effectively cope with CRS. It was also seen that higher levels of resilience and perceived confidence resulted in lower levels of CRS. Owing to CRS a sizeable percentage of caregivers engaged in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and alcohol abuse. Future studies should continue to examine the relationship between resiliency, CRS and caregiver health status.