Mediational Model of Multiple Sclerosis Impairments, Family Needs, and Caregiver Mental Health in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Melody N Mickens,Adriana Aguayo,Miguel A Macías-Islas,Paul B Perrin,Brenda Rabago,Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

doi:10.1155/2018/8929735

Abstract

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially those living in Latin America, often require assistance from family caregivers throughout the duration of the disease. Previous research suggests that family caregivers may experience positive and negative outcomes from providing care to individuals with MS, but few studies have examined the unmet needs of individuals providing care to family members with MS and how these unmet needs may mediate the relationship between MS symptoms and caregiver mental health. The current study examined the relationships among MS impairments (functional, neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional), unmet family needs (household, informational, financial, social support, and health), and caregiver mental health (satisfaction with life, anxiety, burden, and depression) in a sample of 81 MS caregivers from Guadalajara, Mexico. A structural equation model demonstrated the mediational effect of unmet family needs on the relationship between MS impairments and caregiver mental health. These findings suggest that intervention research on MS caregivers in Latin America may consider focusing on caregiver mental health problems by addressing unmet family needs and teaching caregivers ways to manage the impairments of the individual with MS.

Highlights

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological illness that eventually results in physical disability and cognitive impairments which limit an individual’s ability to function independently [1]
In Latin America, where rates of MS are increasing but disparities still exist in its diagnosis and treatment [6, 7], sociocultural values such as allocentrism, familism, and filial obligation [8, 9] increase the likelihood that family members will serve as informal caregivers to individuals with MS
Participants (n = 81) were a convenience sample of self-identified MS caregivers recruited from The Mexican Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and the Department of Neurosciences of the University Center for Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Mexico

Summary

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological illness that eventually results in physical disability and cognitive impairments which limit an individual’s ability to function independently [1]. Very few studies have examined MS caregiving in Latin America [14, 15], and associations in this region among MS impairments, needs of family members providing care, Behavioural Neurology and caregiver mental health remain largely unknown. Because of this major gap in the research literature, there is a great need for research addressing the process of MS caregiving in Latin America, as well as the impact of MS impairments on family needs and caregiver mental health in this region

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