Caregiver Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Factors associated with life satisfaction among family caregivers of persons living with dementia

Purpose: Because family caregivers provide a considerable amount of daily care to persons living with dementia, they are at risk of experiencing poor life satisfaction. Therefore, this study aimed to examine factors associated with the life satisfaction of family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Methods: Data were collected through surveys from family caregivers (N=183), and a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the factors associated with their life satisfaction. Results: The final model indicated that perceiving support from intimate others as helpful (β=.22, p<.001) was associated with greater life satisfaction, whereas a negative relationship with the care recipients (β=−.15, p=.046) and greater psychological burden (β=−.40, p<.001) were associated with poorer life satisfaction (Adjusted R2=0.49, F=20.42, p<.001). Conclusion: Public policy should focus on providing greater support to family caregivers. Furthermore, healthcare professionals should implement intervention programs for family caregivers that focus on lowering their psychological burden.

Effect of internet usage on the life satisfaction of the elderly spousal caregivers of disabled elderly

This empirical study examines the impact of internet usage on the life satisfaction of spousal caregivers responsible for elderly individuals with disabilities. Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), released in November 2023, we analyzed the health status and life satisfaction of these caregivers in the context of the recent rapid development of the internet. A stratified Proportionate to Size Sampling (PPS) approach was employed in this investigation. We assessed whether the life satisfaction of spousal caregivers is associated with internet use and whether internet adoption can moderate intergenerational relationships, interpersonal interactions, and political engagement among these caregivers. The study analyzed a sample of 760 individuals, with an average age of 60.31 years, and rural households comprising 77.14% of the sample. Our findings indicate a positive correlation between internet usage and the life satisfaction of spousal caregivers. This result enhances our understanding of the relationship between internet usage and life satisfaction in this context. Furthermore, this study supports the advancement of internet access for the aging population, assists elderly individuals in bridging the digital divide, and provides a theoretical foundation for the development of targeted, elderly-friendly internet policies by the government.

The Association between Healthcare Satisfaction and Social Support and Stress, Depression, and Life Satisfaction in Female Caregivers: The Moderating Role of Dependence of a Sick Child.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 185 female caregivers of children with rare diseases. The data were analysed by using hierarchical regression analysis to examine the moderating effect of the child's dependence. Lower dependence of the child moderated the association between a higher level of healthcare satisfaction and reduced stress and a higher level of life satisfaction. Furthermore, lower child dependence moderated the association between a higher level of social support and a reduction in depression. In contrast, this association was absent in female caregivers with highly dependent children. On the other hand, the research confirmed that a higher level of social support led to stress reduction and increased life satisfaction in all respondents, regardless of the child's dependence. Furthermore, the research confirmed that higher levels of healthcare satisfaction are associated with a reduction in depression in caregivers, regardless of the child's dependence level. This research highlights the importance of providing adequate social support and high-quality healthcare in order to improve the psychosocial well-being of caregivers of children with rare diseases. Interventions to increase this support can reduce stress and depression and increase caregivers' life satisfaction. Thus, future research should focus on the development and evaluation of specific interventions that support these factors.

The health status and life satisfaction of caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s

Introduction: The health status of caregivers is associated with satisfaction with life and so in the way of delivering care to the elderly with Alzheimer’s. Objective: To evaluate the health status and life satisfaction of family caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s, users of a Reference Center for Care in Alzheimer’s disease in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. The convenience sample consisted of 208 family caregivers and selected during the period December 2009 to February 2010, through the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was conducted in the Reference Center. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and application of the scales: Zarit caregiver burden interview, Subjective Well-Being and Functional Staging. For statistical analysis, we applied the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test, using Epi-Info 6.04. Results were considered statistically significant if their level was less than 5% (p

The Effectiveness of Brain Injury Family Intervention in Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Caregivers of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Globally, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as one of the most significant contributors to mortality and disability. Most of the patients who have experienced TBI will be discharged home and reunited with their families or primary caregivers. The degree of severity of their reliance on caregivers varies. Therefore, the task of delivering essential care to the patients becomes demanding for the caregivers. A significant proportion of caregivers expressed considerable burden, distress, and discontentment with their lives. Therefore, it is critical to comprehend the dynamic of TBI and caregivers to optimize patient care, rehabilitation, and administration. The effectiveness of the Brain Injury Family Intervention (BIFI) program tailored for caregivers of patients with TBI has been widely proven in Western countries. However, the impact is less clear among caregivers of patients with TBI in Malaysia. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of BIFI in reducing emotional distress and burden of care, fulfilling the needs, and increasing the life satisfaction of caregivers of patients with TBI at government hospitals in Malaysia. This is a 2-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. It will be conducted at Hospital Rehabilitasi Cheras and Hospital Sungai Buloh. In total, 100 caregivers of patients with TBI attending the neurorehabilitation unit will be randomized equally to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group will undergo the BIFI program, whereas the control group will receive standard treatment. Caregivers aged ≥18 years, caring for patients who have completed >3 months after the injury, are eligible to participate. The BIFI program will be scheduled for 5 sessions as recommended by the developer of the module. Each session will take approximately 90 to 120 minutes. The participants are required to attend all 5 sessions. A total of 5 weeks is needed for each group to complete the program. Self-reported questionnaires (ie, Beck Depression Inventory, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Caregiver Strain Index, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and Family Needs Questionnaire) will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention program, at 3-month follow-up, and at 6-month follow-up. The primary end point is the caregivers' emotional distress. The participant recruitment process began in January 2019 and was completed in December 2020. In total, 100 participants were enrolled in this study, of whom 70 (70%) caregivers are women and 30 (30%) are men. We are currently at the final stage of data analysis. The results of this study are expected to be published in 2024. Ethics approval has been obtained. It is expected that the psychological well-being of the intervention group will be better compared with that of the control group after the intervention at 3-month follow-up and at 6-month follow-up. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20180809040746N1; https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/33286. RR1-10.2196/53692.

The Burden and Quality of Life in Caregivers of Individuals With Stroke During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study investigated the caregiving burden, quality of life and life satisfaction of caregivers of individuals with stroke during the pandemic period. A descriptive a study was performed with a sample of caregivers (n = 80) of inpatient individuals with stroke in Kayseri, Turkey. The Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale, Short Form Health Survey-36, and Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as well as some open-ended questions. Using descriptive analysis and correlations, results showed that caregiving burden of the participants was correlated to quality of life and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 (p < 0.05). Specific types of burden include: stress, isolation, financial issues, disruption of therapy, patient-caregiver relationship, and kinship relations. These findings provide important information about the increased burden of caregivers during the pandemic. This study offers information to design a framework of interventions to reduce the physical, social, and psychological effects on caregivers in similar conditions.

Care Burden and Life Satisfaction of Caregivers Who are Providing Home Health Care to Patients.

This study aims to evaluate the care burden and life satisfaction in caregivers who are providing home health care to patients and determine the relationship between life satisfaction and care burden. This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 133 caregivers who provided home health care to patients and 133 control groups between February and December 2020. Care burden was evaluated using the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI), and life satisfaction was evaluated using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The mean age of hundred thirty-three caregivers was 52.5±10.5 years, and that of the control group was 51.2±9.9 years. The mean ZBI score of the caregivers was 47.0±16.4. According to the ZBI score, 46.6% of the caregivers had a moderate care burden and 21.8% had a heavy caregiver burden. The caregiver burden was higher in those with a low education level, those without social insurance, those who felt insufficient in care, and those who did not receive help from other family members. The SWLS score of caregivers was significantly lower than that of control group (p<0.001). The SWLS score was lower in those with a low education level and those without an employee as a caregiver. There was a negative correlation between SWLS and ZBI score (p<0.001). Caregivers of patients receiving home health-care services are exposed to a significant care burden. The care burden was higher in those with a low education level, those without social insurance, those who felt insufficient in care, and those who did not receive help from other family members. The care burden affects the satisfaction of life.

Grandchild care and life satisfaction of older adults: Empirical evidence from China.

In China, grandchild care plays an important social role later in life. The effects of grandchild care on physical health and depression in older adults have been illustrated. However, there is a gap in research on grandchild care and life satisfaction of older adults specifically based on the Chinese experience. Based on 7,079 individuals' data from 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study explored the impact of grandchild care on older adults' life satisfaction by using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and instrumental variables (IV) models. The empirical results indicated that (1) life satisfaction was significantly higher for older adults who undertook grandchild care compared to those who did not; (2) non-coresiding grandparents showed higher life satisfaction than those non-carers, and this effect was not found in custodial grandparents or three-generation household grandparents; (3) higher life satisfaction of grandchild caregivers was achieved through reduced loneliness, enhanced self-efficacy, and increased emotional support from children, with the latter being the greatest contribution; and (4) the improving effect of grandchild care on life satisfaction was found mainly in the group of older adults who were male and in rural households. There was a significant difference in life satisfaction between older Chinese adults who provided grandchild care and those who did not. Efforts in terms of old age policy protection and family relationships should be made to enhance the subjective well-being of older adults.

Life satisfaction in the caregivers of schizophrenia and factors associated with it: a cross sectional study from South India

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by distortions of thinking and perception, in the process of care giving the caregivers are faced with many challenges. These challenges have a significant impact on the life satisfaction of caregivers. The study investigates various factors associate with life satisfaction in caregivers of schizophrenia&#x0D; The aim: 1. To evaluate the socio-demographic correlates associated with life satisfaction in the care givers of schizophrenia.&#x0D; &#x0D; To evaluate the association between life satisfaction with resilience, anxiety, stress, depression perceived social support, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and perceived stigma in the care takers of schizophrenia patients.&#x0D; &#x0D; Material and methods. In cross sectional study, 513 care takers of schizophrenia were evaluated using semi-structured socio demographic perfoma, DASS-21, Connor-Davidson Resilience 25 item scale, Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg), The Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire and family stigma stress scale.&#x0D; Result. The study showed that background of the caregiver, socioeconomic status, family type, education and marital status are significantly positive correlated with life satisfaction. The study also showed significant positive correlation between resilience, perceived social support, self-esteem and self-efficacy with life satisfaction. There is also significant negative correlation between perceived stigma, anxiety stress and depression with life satisfaction.&#x0D; Conclusion. The study showed that life satisfaction in the care givers of schizophrenia depends on different biopsychosocial variables. There is strong positive correlation between self-esteem, other person support and resilience with life satisfaction, whereas there is moderate positive correlation between self-efficacy, family support and friend support with life satisfaction. There is significant negative correlation between stress, anxiety, depression, and stigma with life satisfaction. We recommended psycho educational interventional programmes in the community level which help to increase resilience self-esteem and self-efficacy. Such programmes also decrease the stigma which in turn increases the social support to the caregivers

Care-giving burden and life satisfaction among family care-givers of disabled older adults in China: the moderator role of care-giver wisdom

AbstractCare-giving to older adults with disabilities could lead to relatively high levels of care-giving burden and low levels of life satisfaction among their family care-givers. However, there is a lack of research examining the role of care-giver wisdom in the above stress process model. This study examined the moderator role of wisdom in the relationship between care-giver burden and life satisfaction among family care-givers of disabled older adults in urban China. A multi-stage quota sampling method was used to recruit 789 disabled older adult–family care-giver dyads in Shanghai in 2013. The average age of older adults and their family care-givers was 84 and 63 years old, respectively. Multiple-group path analysis was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The results showed that care-giver wisdom played a moderator role in the association between care-giver burden and life satisfaction. Care-giver burden was found to only negatively affect life satisfaction among care-givers with relatively low wisdom levels. The findings highlight the influences of care-giver wisdom on the relationship between burden and life satisfaction in Chinese contexts. The concept of wisdom should be used in needs assessment among family care-givers of older adults with disabilities. Future social interventions should focus on promoting care-givers' capacities of reflective thinking, their understandings of reality and their feelings of compassion.

Partner Care Arrangements and Older Europeans' Well-Being: Variations by Gender and Context

Across Europe, partners are often primary caregivers to older adults with care needs. Yet, a variety of partner care arrangements may arise. Little is known about the interrelations between partners’ care arrangements, (potential) caregivers’ gender, and the context in which care is embedded. We use 2015 SHARE data from 17 countries on 3,465 couples aged 50+ where one partner receives care. We examine how life satisfaction and depressive symptoms of (potential) caregivers vary across five care arrangements: solo-care; shared formal; shared informal; outsourced formal; and outsourced informal. We explore heterogeneity by gender and across four contexts: Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe. Outsourcing partners’ care to formal or informal providers is linked with higher well-being among Northern and Western European women, but with lower well-being among women in Southern Europe, where traditional female caregiving responsibilities are stronger. Among men, outsourcing partner care is linked to higher well-being regardless of context.

Study on Life Satisfaction and its Influencing Factors of Family Caregivers for Disabled People

The vast majority of disabled people live at home for a long time and are cared for by close relatives, while the family caregivers who cover the daily care are often under a lot of stress in terms of health, finances, relationships, etc. In this study, taking family caregivers of disabled people as the research object, more than 500 family caregivers of disabled people from six cities and counties were investigated by questionnaire, and factor analysis was used to explore the life satisfaction and its influencing factors of family caregivers of disabled people. Through the analysis, it is found that the life satisfaction of family caregivers of disabilities is generally low, and its influencing factors are ranked in order of importance: care pressure, future expectations, interpersonal communication, social support, and social integration. Therefore, China still needs to introduce more high-level social policies and take corresponding service measures from the perspective of family caregivers to effectively improve the respect and protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities and their families.

Intergenerational Caregiving Patterns, Living Arrangements, and Life Satisfaction of Adults in Mid and Later Life in China.

While the health implications of intergenerational caregiving have been broadly investigated in the aging literature, less is known about caregivers in four-generation families and their living arrangements. Using 2011 and 2013 waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 12,914 obs.), we document enhanced life satisfaction of grandchild caregivers and sandwich caregivers caring for both grandchildren and parents than non-caregivers. When further taking living arrangements into consideration, we find that parent caregivers also benefit from care provision when not living with their parents and sandwich caregivers only have an advantage when co-residing with care recipients with adult children present in households. By contrast, grandchild caregivers living with grandchildren show substantially higher life satisfaction no matter adult children are present or not. The subgroup comparison suggests that females and rural residents enjoy psychological advantages over their male counterparts and urban counterparts in grandparenting within skipped-generation households and sandwich caregiving.

Actor and partner effects of self-rated health on life satisfaction among family caregiver couples

ObjectivesThis study examined the dyadic effects of self-rated health on the life satisfaction of family caregivers. The effects of the use of long-term care services were also explored to investigate whether support through care services is associated with the life satisfaction of family caregivers. MethodsThe data were drawn from the sixth wave (2016) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Caregivers who used long-term care services for older family members, and spouses of the caregivers, were identified. A total of 81 married caregiver couples were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence model. ResultsThe study showed that better self-rated health of caregivers was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction (B = 8.87, p < 0.001). Better self-rated health of the caregivers was also associated with higher life satisfaction of their spouses (B = 6.01, p < 0.05). In addition, the results suggested that the use of long-term care services for patients was associated with the life satisfaction of both caregivers (B = 14.57, p < 0.01) and their spouses (B = 12.51, p < 0.05). DiscussionOur findings suggested mutual influences among family caregivers on their life satisfaction. In addition, long-term care services for patients may improve the life satisfaction of other family members. More support through long-term care services for people with care needs is required to increase the life satisfaction of family caregivers. The diverse relationships among family caregivers should be taken into consideration when developing policies and interventions.

Investigation of the effects of interventions made according to the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model on the care outcomes of Alzheimer patients and their families: a randomized clinical trial.

One of the non-pharmacological methods used to reduce behavioural problems of Alzheimer's patients and the negative emotions accordingly experienced by caregivers consists of interventions performed according to the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) model. This randomized controlled study aimed to determine the effect of interventions performed according to PLST on the care burden, care satisfaction, and life satisfaction of caregivers of middle and advanced stage Alzheimer's disease patients, and on the neuropsychiatric symptoms and agitation levels of these patients. The research was conducted with a total of 29 caregivers divided into intervention (15) and control (14) groups. Data were collected using an Introductory Information Form, plus the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, Carer's Assessment of Satisfaction Index, and Life Satisfaction Scale. Three home visits were made to the caregivers by the researchers in the first, second, and twelfth weeks of the intervention. During the home visits, face-to-face training was given as necessary to the individual caring for problems identified in the nursing care plan according to PLST. As a result of the PLST training, there was a decrease in the behavioural problems of Alzheimer's patients, along with a decrease in the care burden of the caregivers and an increase in their care satisfaction. When the scale total scores of the individuals in the intervention and control groups were compared, it was found that only caregivers' care satisfaction increased at a statistically significant level (P < 0.05). At the end of the training given according to PLST, it was found that behavioural problems of Alzheimer's patients and the care burden of caregivers had decreased, and the care satisfaction of caregivers increased. It is recommended that Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers be given training and interventions according to PLST.

Life satisfaction and the mediating role of character strengths and gains in informal caregivers.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The role of informal caregiver can have both negative and positive consequences for a person's well-being. The main theoretical framework for explaining these consequences is the stress process model, which considers contextual variables, stressors and mediating/moderating factors. The latter are psychosocial factors such as coping strategies, personal mastery, social support or beliefs and values which may influence caregiver well-being. The perception of gains in caregiving has also been proposed as a mediating variable since it may act as a coping strategy. However, few studies have examined values and perceived gains as mediating variables with life satisfaction as the outcome. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study explores the role of character strengths and caregiver gains as mediators between stressors and life satisfaction in informal caregivers of persons with dementia. The results identify hope as a key character strength, its lack being one pathway through which stress may lead to low life satisfaction and low perceived gains from caregiving. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Caregivers who experience a lack of hope may be less able to generate goals and be less motivated to achieve them. Our findings are relevant to gerontological nursing based on the Senses Framework as they confirm the importance of the senses of purpose and achievement. Nursing and care staff can play an active role in helping informal caregivers to meet their goals by promoting these two senses, thereby fostering a more positive caregiving experience. ABSTRACT: Introduction Being an informal caregiver can have both negative and positive consequences for well-being. Within the framework of the stress process model, few studies have examined values and perceived gains of caregiving as mediating variables of life satisfaction. Aim To explore the role of character strengths and perceived gains as mediators in the association between life satisfaction and primary and secondary stressors in informal caregivers of persons with dementia. Method Participants were 112 informal caregivers. Hierarchical regression, correlation and mediation analyses were performed. Results Lower life satisfaction was associated with being female, unmarried, caring for someone with greater cognitive impairment, a higher level of stress, having restricted leisure time and perceiving financial difficulties. Hope mediated the associations between perceived stress and both life satisfaction and perceived gains of caregiving. Discussion Hope is a key strength and its lack is one pathway through which stress may cause low satisfaction and low perceived gains from caregiving. Implications for practice Without hope, it is difficult for caregivers to generate goals and be motivated to achieve them. Nursing and care staff should aim to promote a sense of purpose and achievement among informal caregivers so as to foster a more positive caring experience.

Informal Elderly Caregiving and Time Spent on Leisure: Evidence from Time Use Survey

This paper examines the risk of time poverty defined as leisure participation among informal caregivers of adults and older people. We draw on the most recent time use survey conducted in Poland, which incorporated more than 28,000 households in 2013. We assess the extent to which caregivers are more likely to experience shortages of time spent on physical activity, hobbies, and social life. Additional information about respondents’ time preferences allows us to examine not only the objective and relative time deficits of caregivers, but also the subjective and expressed ones. We distinguish between co-resident caregivers and those living outside the household of care recipients, simultaneously accounting for the differences between male and female caregivers, as well as care provided during working days (Monday-Friday), and that provided on weekends (Saturday-Sunday). Our results indicate that caregivers for adults are in general more likely to allocate less time to physical activity, hobbies, and their social lives. This effect, however, is observed primarily among co-resident caregivers, both male and female. The leisure time of caregivers is more noticeably affected during weekends than on working days. Concurrently, caregivers are more likely to admit that they wish to spend more time on different forms of leisure activity. This confirms the hypothesis of a trade-off between time allocated to elderly care and that allocated to self-care, which can be detrimental to the health, life satisfaction, and wellbeing of informal caregivers.

Sleep, caregiver burden, and life satisfaction in Parkinson’s disease caregivers: a multinational investigation

Purpose The primary aim of this study was to examine the pattern of associations among PD patient and caregiver sleep problems, caregiver burden, and caregiver life satisfaction. A secondary aim was to assess whether the pattern of associations differed between Mexican and U.S. caregivers. Materials and methods Analyses were performed on data obtained from 253 caregivers (M age = 59.92). A composite score was produced for caregiver and patient sleep problems. The Zarit Burden Interview and Satisfaction with Life Scale measured caregiver burden and life satisfaction, respectively. A structural equation model with an invariance design was developed to examine and compare the pattern of associations. Results The model was generally invariant across U.S. and Mexican caregivers. Three significant indirect effects were found: caregiver sleep problems were negatively associated with life satisfaction via caregiver burden (p = 0.003); PD patient sleep problems were positively related to caregiver burden via caregiver sleep problems (p = 0.005) and life satisfaction via caregiver burden and caregiver sleep problems (p = 0.002). Conclusions PD patient sleep problems were associated with caregiver sleep problems, leading to increased burden in caregivers and poorer life satisfaction. The findings highlight a potential opportunity for empirically supported sleep interventions. Implications for rehabilitation Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that impacts patient and caregiver quality of life. Patient sleep problems contribute to greater caregiver burden, sleep problems, and reduced life satisfaction. The findings suggest patient and caregiver sleep may be a worthwhile target for intervention in order to reduce risk of caregiver burden and improve life satisfaction.

Performance of Everyday Occupations and Perceived Health of Spouses of Men With Spinal Cord Injury at Discharge and 6 Months Later.

An exploratory longitudinal study. (a) Compare the occupational performance, and life satisfaction of spouses of men with SCI with those of spouses of healthy men, (b) compare the occupational performance, perceived health, and life satisfaction of spouses of men with SCI at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and 6 months postdischarge; and (c) assess whether the functioning levels of men with SCI and the perceived mental health of the spouse, correlate with her occupational performance. Spouses of men with spinal cord injury (SCI) report having symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, their ability to choose everyday occupations and perform them satisfactorily (occupational performance) was less studied. Fifteen women spouses of men with SCI and 15 women spouses of healthy men participated. Study measures included four self-report questionnaires and the Occupational Performance History Interview that was analyzed quantitatively and measured occupational performance by three components: occupational identity, competence, and settings. Occupational performance and life satisfaction of caregivers were lower than those of spouses of healthy men and did not significantly change over 6 months. However, they had higher scores on physical, mental, and general health 6 months postdischarge than at discharge. Mental health of the spouse correlated with her occupational identity. It is recommended that rehabilitation intervention focus not only on patients with SCI, but also on their healthy spouses to promote their occupational performance, health, and well-being. 3.

1123 Sleep, Caregiver Burden, and Life Satisfaction in Parkinson’s Disease Caregivers from Mexico and the US

Abstract Introduction Sleep problems are frequently reported by caregivers of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and are associated with greater caregiver burden and poorer caregiver life satisfaction. The primary aim of this study was to examine the pattern of associations among PD patient and caregiver sleep problems, caregiver burden, and life satisfaction in PD caregivers. A secondary aim was to assess whether the pattern of associations differed between Mexican and US caregivers. Methods Secondary analyses were performed on data obtained from 253 caregivers (age M=59.92, SD=14.66). A composite score was produced for caregiver and patient sleep problems. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) measured caregiver burden and life satisfaction, respectively. A structural equation model (SEM) was developed to examine the pattern of associations among sleep problems, caregiver burden, and life satisfaction. An invariance design was employed to assess differences in the associations between Mexican and US caregivers. Results Fit indices suggested the SEM fit the data adequately. Path coefficients among all variables were significant (p≤.005), except between patient sleep problems and life satisfaction. Three significant indirect effects were found: caregiver sleep problems were negatively associated with life satisfaction via caregiver burden (p=.003); patient sleep problems were positively related to caregiver burden via caregiver sleep problems (p=.005); and life satisfaction via caregiver burden and caregiver sleep problems (p=.002). Despite noninvariance of error terms for the ZBI (z=2.92) and SWLS (z=3.37) between Mexican and US caregivers, the model was generally invariant across countries. Conclusion Patient sleep problems were associated with caregiver sleep problems, leading to increased burden in caregivers and poorer life satisfaction. The findings highlight a potential opportunity for empirically-supported sleep interventions in both individuals with PD and their caregivers which may initiate a cascade of salubrious effects on caregiver burden and overall life satisfaction. Support Dr. Dzierzewski’s effort on this project was supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (K23AG049955 to J.M.D).