Investigation of the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Caregiver Burden in Disabled Nursing Homes

Abstract

It is very well documented that the number of patients residing in nursing homes has increased in recent years due to disabilities related with mental diseases. There is mounting evidence of the enormous burden placed on caregivers who care for people suffering from mental illness. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the working conditions of personnel caring for mentally ill patients in nursing homes have deteriorated. Shifts with 14-day intervals and quarantine have been implemented in order to minimize the risk of transmission. We designed this study to ascertain the impact of the pandemic and the associated regulations, as well as the issues encountered in the routine work system, on the mental health of personnel. We used sociodemographic data form to determine the personnel's sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) to determine anxiety levels associated with Covid-19, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) to determine caregiver burden, and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to determine depressive symptoms. The participants' mean CAS score was found to be 2.72±2.91, their mean ZBI score was 41.6±10.6, and their mean MADRS score was 11.55±7.70. Nurses had significantly higher MADRS and ZBI scores than caregivers. There was a positive and significant correlation between ZBI scores, and CAS and MADRS scores (p