From Burden to Depressive Symptoms in Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. SF-12
2.2. Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)
2.3. ADL and IADL
2.4. Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale
2.5. Beck Depression Inventory
2.6. COVID-19 Related Questions
2.7. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Sociodemographic Characteristics of Informal Caregivers | n (%) * |
---|---|
Female gender | 560 (70.8) |
Age | |
18–34 | 47 (6.0) |
35–64 | 574 (72.8) |
65+ | 167 (21.2) |
Marital status | |
Married | 472 (59.4) |
Single | 101 (12.7) |
Divorced | 98 (12.3) |
Widowed | 95 (11.9) |
Domestic partnership | 31 (3.9) |
Level of education | |
Primary education or below | 107 (13.4) |
Secondary education | 444 (55.8) |
Tertiary education or above | 245 (30.8) |
Employment status | |
Employed | 376 (47.2) |
Unemployed | 154 (19.3) |
Retired | 192 (24.1) |
Housewife | 60 (7.5) |
Other | 15 (1.9) |
Caring alone | 537 (67.5) |
Number of persons cared for | |
One | 667 (84.9) |
More than one | 119 (15.1) |
SF-12, mean ± sd, range | |
Physical health score | 45.6 ± 11.1 (19–64) |
Mental health score | 41.0 ± 6.3 (22–57) |
Fatigue severity scale (FSS), mean ± sd, range | 3.5 ± 1.8 (1–7) |
Characteristics of Care and Care Recipients | n (%) * |
---|---|
Age (years) | |
<18 | 19 (2.4) |
18–65 | 136 (17.0) |
≥65 | 637 (80.4) |
Female gender | 467 (60.2) |
Duration of caregiving (years) | |
≤1 | 188 (24.3) |
2–9 | 437 (56.4) |
≥10 | 149 (19.3) |
Caregiving frequency | |
Everyday | 619 (78.5) |
Several times a week | 122 (15.5) |
At least once a week | 33 (4.2) |
At least once a month | 15 (1.9) |
Daily duration of caregiving (hours) | |
<6 | 295 (38.0) |
6–12 | 122 (15.7) |
>12 | 360 (46.3) |
Living with caregiver in joint household | 531 (66.6) |
Related to caregiver | 712 (90.6) |
Relationship with care recipient | |
Father/mother | 326 (45.8) |
Husband/wife | 95 (13.4) |
Son/daughter | 61 (8.6) |
Other blood relative | 229 (32.2) |
Sufficient financial means | 251 (31.6) |
Regular financial aid | 145 (18.3) |
Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale | n (%) |
---|---|
Little or no burden | 230 (28.8) |
Mild to moderate burden | 309 (38.7) |
Moderate to severe burden | 211 (26.4) |
Severe burden | 48 (6.0) |
Beck Depression Inventory | |
No depression | 577 (72.9) |
Mild depression | 89 (11.2) |
Moderate depression | 69 (8.7) |
Severe depression | 57 (7.2) |
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Rajovic, T.; Todorovic, N.; Vracevic, M.; Rajovic, N.; Pavlovic, A.; Pavlovic, V.; Grbic, I.; Sapic, R.; Krsmanovic, S.; Vukmirovic, M.; et al. From Burden to Depressive Symptoms in Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189577
Rajovic T, Todorovic N, Vracevic M, Rajovic N, Pavlovic A, Pavlovic V, Grbic I, Sapic R, Krsmanovic S, Vukmirovic M, et al. From Burden to Depressive Symptoms in Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(18):9577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189577
Chicago/Turabian StyleRajovic, Tatjana, Natasa Todorovic, Milutin Vracevic, Nina Rajovic, Andrija Pavlovic, Vedrana Pavlovic, Igor Grbic, Rosa Sapic, Slavica Krsmanovic, Marijana Vukmirovic, and et al. 2021. "From Burden to Depressive Symptoms in Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 18: 9577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189577