Abstract:
This descriptive correlational study aimed at investigating the factors influencing the
caregiver role strain of wives of patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) by using the
Roy adaptation model. One hundred and ten CVD patients' wives participated in this study.
They were all primary caregivers who had been caring for patients for at least three weeks at
home and who brought the patients to attend a follow-up clinic at either the King
Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital or Prasat Neurological Institute outpatient departments.
Data were collected from January to April, 2003. The set of questionnaires used in this study
consisted of the patients and their caregivers' demographic data, Mutuality, Rewards of
Caregiving, Preparedness, Strain from Worry, and Caregiver Role Strain Assessment Form.
The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson's Product Moment
Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Regression.
The results showed that the average age of subjects was 54.83 years. Approximately,
two-thirds (62.8%) of subjects had family income of less than 10,000 baht per month and
only 43.6% reported that they had adequate income for family expenses. They also had no
savings. Approximately 52% of subjects reported that they had some problematic health
conditions prior to being involved in a caregiver role, while almost 71 % indicated that they
had some problematic health conditions afterward. The mean scores of Mutuality (Mean =
27.95, SD = 13.66), Preparedness (Mean = 15.13, SD = 7.90), and Caregiver Role Strain
(Mean = 42.85, SD = 12.66) were rather low. In contrast, the mean scores of Rewards of
Caregiving (Mean =95.95, SD =21.90) and Strain from Worry (Mean = 49.04, SD = 26.51)
were rather high. Additionally, the findings showed that caregiver role strain was positively
associated with strain from worry (r = .33, p < .01) and level of dependency (r = .31, p< .01).
In contrast, the findings showed that caregiver role strain was negatively associated with
mutuality (r = -.18, p<.05). Through stepwise multiple regression, the findings demonstrated
that strain from worry could predict caregiver role strain at 11%, level of dependency could
predict another 9.1% of caregiver role strain, and lastly mutuality could predict another 6% of
caregiver role strain.
The findings suggest that nurses should provide prompt intervention and continuing
care at home in order to decrease the level of dependency. In addition, nurses should do
psychosocial assessment and provide psychosocial care. Lastly, they should strengthen the
relationship between patients and their relatives