Self-Reported Burden Among Caregivers of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are chronic and progressive diseases that may impose a significant burden on caregivers and patients' immediate families. Extensive research shows MS and AD caregiver burden on physical and mental health, but no direct comparisons between MS and AD caregivers have been reported in the literature. The objective of this study was to examine the extent of MS caregiver burden compared with that of noncaregivers and AD caregivers. Data were obtained from the 2009 National Health and Wellness Survey administered online to a US representative adult sample (N = 75,000). Respondents reported health status, quality of life, work productivity, health-care utilization, and caregiver status. Multivariable regressions, adjusting for key characteristics (eg, age, gender, marital status, depression), were conducted to explore differences between MS caregivers (n = 215) and noncaregivers (n = 69,224) and between MS caregivers and AD caregivers (n = 1341). The results indicated that MS caregivers had significantly greater activity impairment (P = .01), poorer mental (P = .015) and physical (P = .002) health status, lower health utility scores (P = .002), and more traditional health-care provider visits (P < .001), emergency room (ER) visits (P < .001), and hospitalizations (P = .001) than noncaregivers, adjusting for covariates. After adjustments, MS caregivers had greater activity impairment (P = .044), more ER visits (P = .017), and more hospitalizations (P = .008) than AD caregivers. Significant work productivity differences were not observed across groups, possibly owing to fewer employed respondents. Thus, in this study, MS caregivers had significantly more burden than noncaregivers, and for some measures, even AD caregivers. The results reveal the hidden toll on those providing care for MS patients and highlight the need for health-care providers to recognize their burden so that appropriate measures can be implemented.