FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CAREGIVERS BURDEN: DO COPING STRATEGIES MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of the study was to see the moderating effects ofcoping strategies on caregivers burden that they incurred while caring the CHDpatients.

Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at Cardiology CentreMultan from 1 February to 31 August, 2016. As the study was of particularimportance for examining the significance of coping strategies used bycaregivers to cope with their burden during treatment of CHD patients; the gender,age, relationship with recipient, and duration of disease were taken asindependent variables. Information about independent variables, copingstrategies, and burden were collected using scales; Way of Coping Scale andZarit Burden Interview Scale respectively.

Results: A total of 312 care givers were included. The analyses from structureequation model affirmed the moderating roles of different coping strategies.Findings showed that female caregivers used emotion focused strategies andmale caregivers used problem focused strategies. Results demonstrated thateffects of age, relationship with recipient, and duration of disease weremoderated by coping strategies; emotion focused (B = .31, p >.01) andproblem focused (B=.25, p >.01).

Conclusion: Based upon the statistical analyses, present findings added to theliterature by affirming the role of caregivers coping ways in dealing with theirburden. Effects of caregivers' gender, age, relationship with patient, and durationof CHD are significant and are moderated by coping strategies.