Caregiver-Related Risk Factors Contributing to Abuse Tendency in Nursing Homes: A Structural Equation Model.

Aims and objectives: To identify modifiable caregiver factors influencing abuse tendency in Chinese nursing homes and delineate pathways for intervention.

Background: Discerning the risk factors associated with elder abuse is paramount for enhancing prevention and intervention strategies.

Design: Cross sectional study.

Methods: Using validated tools (Caregiver Abuse Screen, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Fatigue Scale-14, Barthel Index), 241 caregivers from 24 nursing homes in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China were surveyed. Structural equation modelling analysed the direct/indirect pathways linking caregiving stress, caregiving difficulty, job burnout and abuse tendency.

Results: The prevalence of abuse tendency amongst caregivers in the previous year was 40.7%. The model explained 83% of the total variance in abuse tendency. The best-fitting model indicated that abuse tendency was directly affected by job burnout. Caregiving difficulty and stress indirectly affected abuse tendency through job burnout.

Conclusions: This study identified job burnout as a modifiable mediator linking caregiving difficulties, caregiving stress, and abuse tendency amongst nursing home caregivers. To disrupt the pathways to abuse tendency, clinical administrators should prioritise routine burnout screening coupled with structured resilience-building programmes. Simultaneously, optimising staffing ratios and enhancing caregiving competencies may foster safer care environments for caregivers and residents.

Relevance to clinical practise: This study identified job burnout as a direct driver of abuse tendency, providing information for clinical managers and targeted interventions to mitigate elder abuse risk. Additionally, it revealed the indirect effects of caregiving difficulty and stress via job burnout, emphasising the need to optimise staffing allocation and workflow design to foster system-level improvements in caregiver mental health and service quality.

Reporting method: The study adhered to the STROBE checklist of observational surveys.

Patient or public contribution: Caregivers voluntarily completed questionnaires.

Impact statement: This study identifies job burnout, caregiving difficulty, and caregiving stress as key risk factors for abuse tendency amongst nursing home caregivers. The validated model demonstrates the direct and indirect effects of these factors on abuse tendency, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to prevent and mitigate abuse.