The Association of Satisfaction and Perceived Burden With Anxiety and Depression in Primary Caregivers of Dependent Elderly Relatives.

Abstract

Some researchers have viewed caregiver burden and satisfaction as two ends of the same continuum rather than as independent aspects of the caregiving experience. We conducted a cross-sectional study of primary caregivers of dependent elderly relatives in Spain (N = 200; probabilistic sample), to determine whether satisfaction and perceived burden coexisted in caregivers, and whether these variables, considered separately and in combination, were associated with anxiety and depression, while controlling for objective aspects of care recipients' needs. Data on satisfaction with care, perceived burden, objective burden, anxiety, and depression were gathered in 2013 by interviews in caregivers' homes. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. Of the 200 primary caregivers, 12.5% reported both high satisfaction with care and high perceived burden. Anxiety and depression levels were lower in caregivers with high satisfaction and low perceived burden than in those with low satisfaction and high burden or with high satisfaction and high burden. Our findings support the following conclusions: (1) Satisfaction may be experienced despite the presence of stressful factors; (2) the combination of high satisfaction and low burden might have protective effects on anxiety and depression in caregivers.