The impact of burden, positive feelings, coping style and social support on caregivers’ fatigue of dementia patients

Abstract

Objective To explore the impact of burden, positive feelings, coping style and social support on caregivers’ fatigue of dementia patients. Methods 190 caregivers of dementia patients were investigated by using the questionnaires of Caregivers Burden Inventory(CBI), Positive Aspects of Caregiving(PAC), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire(SCSQ), Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS) and Fatigue Scale-14(FS-14). Results The caregivers’ fatigue of dementia patients was positively correlated with burden(r=0.56, P<0.01), negative coping style(r=0.31, P<0.01), and negatively associated with positive feelings(r=-0.33, P<0.01), social support (r=-0.36, P<0.01) and positive coping style(r=-0.55, P<0.01), respectively. Path analysis showed coping style and social support had direct impacts on fatigue; burden had a direct impact on fatigue, and also had an indirect influence on it through coping style or social support; fatigue might be decreased by positive feelings and increased by negative coping style. Conclusion To prevent and relieve the caregivers’ fatigue of dementia patients, caregivers should be encouraged to take positive coping style and increase social support so as to reduce burden and increase positive feelings. Key words: Dementia; Caregiver Burden; Positive feelings; Coping style; Social support