{"title":"Burden and quality of life of family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients: the role of forgiveness as a coping strategy.","authors":"Isabela Monteiro, Laura Brito, M Graça Pereira","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2024.2320138","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the variables that were associated, contributed and moderated quality of life (QoL) and burden in family caregivers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 130 participants were evaluated using the following instruments: Depression, Anxiety and Distress Scale; Index of Family Relations; Heartland Forgiveness Scale; Burden Interview Scale; Short Form Health Survey.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Being a younger caregiver, less distress, better family relationships and greater use of forgiveness were associated with more QoL. Also, family caregivers who chosethe caregiving role, less distress, better family relationships and greater use of forgiveness showed lower levels of burden. Age, distress and forgiveness contributed to QoL. In turn, the choice to become a family caregiver, distress, and forgiveness contributed to burden. Forgiveness played a moderating role in the relationship between family relationships and burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on the results, there is a need to intervene in older family caregivers, particularly those who did not choose to become a caregiver, who report greater distress, have worse family relationships, and display less use of forgiveness, in order to decrease their burden and promote QoL.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Aging & Mental Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2024.2320138","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/2/29 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the variables that were associated, contributed and moderated quality of life (QoL) and burden in family caregivers.
Methods: A total of 130 participants were evaluated using the following instruments: Depression, Anxiety and Distress Scale; Index of Family Relations; Heartland Forgiveness Scale; Burden Interview Scale; Short Form Health Survey.
Results: Being a younger caregiver, less distress, better family relationships and greater use of forgiveness were associated with more QoL. Also, family caregivers who chosethe caregiving role, less distress, better family relationships and greater use of forgiveness showed lower levels of burden. Age, distress and forgiveness contributed to QoL. In turn, the choice to become a family caregiver, distress, and forgiveness contributed to burden. Forgiveness played a moderating role in the relationship between family relationships and burden.
Conclusion: Based on the results, there is a need to intervene in older family caregivers, particularly those who did not choose to become a caregiver, who report greater distress, have worse family relationships, and display less use of forgiveness, in order to decrease their burden and promote QoL.
研究目的本研究旨在评估与家庭照顾者的生活质量(QoL)和负担相关的变量、促成变量和调节变量:方法: 使用以下工具对 130 名参与者进行评估:抑郁、焦虑和苦恼量表;家庭关系指数;Heartland 宽恕量表;负担访谈量表;简表健康调查:结果:年轻的照顾者、较少的痛苦、较好的家庭关系和更多地使用宽恕与更高的 QoL 有关。此外,选择照顾者角色、较少痛苦、较好的家庭关系和较多使用宽恕的家庭照顾者的负担水平较低。年龄、苦恼和宽恕对 QoL 有促进作用。反过来,选择成为家庭照顾者、痛苦和宽恕也会加重负担。在家庭关系与负担之间,宽恕起到了调节作用:根据研究结果,有必要对老年家庭照顾者进行干预,尤其是那些没有选择成为照顾者的老年家庭照顾者,因为他们的痛苦程度更高、家庭关系更差、更少使用宽恕,从而减轻他们的负担,提高他们的生活质量。
期刊介绍:
Aging & Mental Health provides a leading international forum for the rapidly expanding field which investigates the relationship between the aging process and mental health. The journal addresses the mental changes associated with normal and abnormal or pathological aging, as well as the psychological and psychiatric problems of the aging population. The journal also has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary and innovative approaches that explore new topics and methods.
Aging & Mental Health covers the biological, psychological and social aspects of aging as they relate to mental health. In particular it encourages an integrated approach for examining various biopsychosocial processes and etiological factors associated with psychological changes in the elderly. It also emphasizes the various strategies, therapies and services which may be directed at improving the mental health of the elderly and their families. In this way the journal promotes a strong alliance among the theoretical, experimental and applied sciences across a range of issues affecting mental health and aging. The emphasis of the journal is on rigorous quantitative, and qualitative, research and, high quality innovative studies on emerging topics.