Impact on quality of life in caregivers of stroke survivors

Abstract

Stroke is the first cause of disability in adults. Often, the care falls on the family and can affect their quality of life. To determine the health-related quality of life and the level of caregiver burden of a patient after a stroke. Descriptive and cross-sectional study. Caregivers, who had cared for a patient for more than six months and without pay, were included. This study had been approved by the Ethics Committee. Variables collected: sociodemographic, EuroQol-5D questionnaire, Zarit scale, mood and sleep problems. Forty-eight caregivers were included, with a mean age of 55.63 (SD: 13.48) and the majority were women (70.8%). The mean time of the care was 28.8 months (SD: 28.68), with 58% stated having a depressed mood, 31% had burden, and 89.6% had sleep problems. The dimensions that presented problems (moderate and severe) in the EQ-5D were pain-discomfort (66.7%) and anxiety-depression (68.8%). The score on the visual analog scale rating of quality of life was associated with a worse mood (75.5 vs. 32, p=0.0028), with the pain (81.94 vs. 38, p<0.001), and Zarit scale (r:<0.334, p=0.020). The role of caregivers of stroke patients often falls on women. To be a caregiver affects the quality of life, mainly in the pain-discomfort and anxiety-depression dimensions, regardless of the functional status of the patient. Nurses must identify the psychopathological needs and develop strategies on the prevention of the risk of burnout.