Depression, Anxiety and Health Related Quality of Life in the Caregivers of the Persons with Chronic Neurological Illness

Yildirim S. A., ÖZER S., YILMAZ Ö., DÜGER T., KILINÇ M.

TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI, cilt.29, sa.6, ss.1535-1542, 2009 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 29 Sayı: 6
  • Basım Tarihi: 2009
  • Dergi Adı: TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1535-1542
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Depression, anxiety, quality of life, caregivers, nervous system diseases, FAMILY CAREGIVERS, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, STROKE SURVIVORS, PROSTATE-CANCER, SPOUSES, BURDEN, ALS, IMPAIRMENTS, INVENTORY, SCLEROSIS
  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: This study was designed to determine the emotional status and health related quality of life (HRQOL) of caregivers of mild to moderately dependent patients with chronic neurological disorders and to compare them with the patients themselves, and to reveal the influence of factors related to physical stressors and emotional status on HRQOL of caregivers. Material and Methods: Fifty two patients with chronic neurological illness and their caregivers (n=52) were recruited. The Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) was used to evaluate the dependence of patients in daily living activities. Patients and their caregivers were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Results: No significant difference was found between the patients and the caregivers with respect to BDI and STAI scores (p>0.05). The significant correlates of NHP and FIM locomotion (which showed a trend toward significance) were added simultaneously in a multivariate model. BDI score of the caregivers was the only predictor of their NHP score (model R2=0.45). When all of the variables were entered sequentially in a stepwise analysis, it was found that FIM locomotion, as well as BDI score of the caregivers contributed significantly to the explanatory power of the model. Our final model explained 43% of the variance in QOL of the caregivers of which BDI score of the caregivers accounted for 36%. Conclusion: Health care professionals should apply a holistic care approach in the rehabilitation of mildly dependent patients with chronic neurological illness including the psychiatric management of caregivers in the process.