IngentaConnect Family caregivers of older relatives: Ways of coping and change i...

Authors: Knussen, Christina¹; Tolson, Debbie²; Brogan, Clare²; Swan, Iain³; Stott, David⁴; Sullivan, Frank⁵

Source: Psychology, Health and Medicine, Volume 13, Number 3, May 2008 , pp. 274-290(17)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

The aim of this secondary analysis was to examine the relationships between the ways in which caregivers coped with caregiving stressors and their experience of distress over time. Three coping subscales were derived from the Carers' Assessment of Management Index (CAMI) coping scale: “maintaining balance”, “focusing on caregiving” and “avoidance”. A proportional (relative) scoring technique was applied. The analysis was based on the responses of 115 pairs of caregivers and care recipients. Care recipients were aged 66-92 years, with no symptoms of dementia, and the majority had mild to moderate hearing impairment. Data were collected at baseline and 6 months later. Caregivers who increased the proportion of strategies endorsed in the “maintaining balance” subscale experienced a decrease in distress, irrespective of change in the proportion of strategies endorsed in the “avoidance” subscale. “Focusing on caregiving” was not significantly related to distress. The results highlight the potential benefits to these caregivers of maintaining a balance in their lives by taking breaks from caregiving.

Keywords: Caregiving; coping; hearing impairment; stress

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/13548500701405483

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 2: Caledonian Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, UK 3: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK 4: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK 5: Tayside Centre for General Practice, Community Health Sciences Division, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK

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Family caregivers of older relatives: Ways of coping and change in distress