Relationship between subjective and objective burden in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients

Resumo

The aim of this work is to determine the role that social support, coping, optimism, quality of life, resilience and life satisfaction have on the relationship between objective and subjective burden on family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Method: Participants: 140 caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Instruments: Sociodemographic Data; CBI Caregiver Burden Scale; COPE Coping Styles Scale; DUKE.UNC Social Support Scale; LOT-R, Life Orientation TestRevised; QOLLTI-F, Quality of Life in Life Threatening Illness Scale–Family Carers Version; CD-RISC, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale; SWLS, Satisfaction with Life Scale. Procedure: Implementation of scales in an individual, voluntary, anonymous way, including informed consent. Results: All variables studied produced significant differences between caregivers with high and low subjective burden, except time caring measured in months/years. Relationships between the variables were significant, with the exception of months/years caring and coping styles. Social support, optimism, satisfaction and quality of life have an important mediating role between objective and subjective burden. Conclusions and discussion: Social support, optimism, satisfaction and quality of life have been decisive as mediating variables between hours a day taking care (objective burden) and subjective burden. This result represents a step forward in the analysis and subsequent creation of intervention programs in family caregivers.