Burden of Chinese Stroke Family Caregivers: The Hong Kong Experience

Abstract

Tang W-K, Lau CG, Mok V, Ungvari GS, Wong K-S. Burden of Chinese stroke family caregivers: the Hong Kong experience. Objective To ascertain the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with family caregivers' burden in Chinese patients with stroke in Hong Kong. Design Cross-sectional design. Setting Stroke Clinic. Participants Patients (N=123) from a stroke clinic and their family caregivers. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Predictive factors of family caregivers' burden in Chinese stroke patients in Hong Kong. Caregivers' burden was assessed with the Caregiving Burden Scale (CBS). Patients' and caregivers' sociodemographic data and clinical characteristics were recorded. Physical and psychological conditions were measured and rated with the following instruments: Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Barthel Index, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, Lubben Social Network Scale, Modified Life Event Scale (MLES), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a single question about fatigue. Results In the univariate analysis, the CBS score had significant correlations with certain characteristics of caregivers (sex, GDS, HADS, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and MLES) and those of patients' (sex, age, education, GDS). Regression analysis revealed that caregivers' GDS and patients' education were the independent correlates of the CBS. Conclusions The severity of depressive symptoms in Chinese stroke caregivers and patients' education are independent factors associated with the caregivers' burden. Further studies evaluating interventions on caregivers' burden should include the assessment and management of mood disorders.