Caregiver Burden and Social Support Among Family Members of Stroke Survivors: A Community-Based Study in Sampaloc Manila, Philippines.

Abstract

Abstract:

Background: The objectives of the study is to determine the family caregivers’ level of caregiver burden, perceived level of social support, and the relationship between them. Another purpose of this study is to assess any association these variables have with patient’s severity of illness, patient’s age, caregiver’s age, caregiver’s gender, and caregiver’s relationship to the patient.

Methods: A total of eighty-two (82) respondents participated in the study, 63 among them are females, and the remaining 19 are males. They are Filipino family caregivers of stroke survivors living among eight (8) Barangays in Zone 41, Sampaloc City, Manila. Participants were interviewed via phone by a single Registered Nurse Research Assistant. Patient’s stroke severity was determined using the Modified Rankin Scale. Participants’ degree of Caregiver burden was assessed using the 22-question Zarit Burden Interview Scale, while their perceived level of Social Support including its subscales were assessed using the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey. Both Caregivers and Stroke survivors’ sociodemographic details were taken.

Results: The study revealed the negative correlation between caregiver burden to their perceived level of social support and to their degree relationship with the stroke survivors, which reflects that the closer the relationship between the caregiver and stroke survivor, the greater the burden experienced by the family caregivers. A positive relationship between the Caregiver burden and the caregiver’s age was also shown, which suggests that the level of burden increases as the caregivers’ age increase. Additionally, the study has also seen a negative relationship between the level of perceived social support and its subscales to the caregiver’s age, and suggests that as the age of caregivers increase the lesser the level of social support they perceived.

Conclusion: During the Global Pandemic, Filipino family caregiver participants still reported to perceive good level of social support. However, despite the negative relationship good social support has with the degree of burden, significant number of family caregivers still verbalize experience of mild to severe degree of burden. Caregiver burden is truly multifaceted and was shown to be correlated with multiple factors.