Family caregiving: family strains, coping response patterns, and caregiver burden

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dc.contributor.authorAlley, Janet McDanielen
dc.contributor.committeechairBlieszner, Rosemaryen
dc.contributor.committeememberBird, Gloria W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberImpara, James C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberMancini, Jay A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberRogers, Cosby S.en
dc.contributor.departmentFamily and Child Developmenten
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-24T13:35:31Zen
dc.date.available2015-06-24T13:35:31Zen
dc.date.issued1988en
dc.description.abstractThis study addressed gaps in the literature on caregiver burden involving lack of information about the multiple strains of caregiving families, their coping patterns, and positive as well as negative aspects of caregiving. The primary objective was to examine the relationship among caregiving strains, patterns of coping responses employed, and the resulting objective and subjective burden. A model describing the relationship of these variables guided the study. The design was a mail survey of 97 caregivers living in Southwestern Virginia who were caring for a sick or disabled family member, age 60 or older (response rate=81%). Family strain was correlated with both subjective and objective burden. Only one coping pattern that dealt with understanding the medical situation was marginally correlated with objective burden at p < .10. No coping patterns were correlated with subjective burden. Based on stepwise multiple regression analysis, the variables that were significant in explaining the variance in objective burden were health of the caregiver and family strain. The presence of home health services and family strain were significant in explaining the variance in subjective burden. Qualitative analysis identified major themes of positive and negative aspects of caregiving, with the majority of caregivers reporting both. Implications of these findings for future research include the importance of examining family strain when studying caregiver burden, assessing problems with the conceptualization of coping, evaluating the effectiveness of different measures of coping patterns, and investigating the balance of costs and rewards related to caregiving. Implications for practice include the importance of health workers considering multiple sources of strain in the family. Caregivers need optimistic but realistic information about the situation. Staff members should promote the caregiver's confidence in the management of the medical situation. Governmental and service agencies need to assist caregivers in relieving problems with restrictions on time and activities, and provide an opportunity for the exchange of information about managing home care. Future researchers need to study the influence of home health services on caregiving by comparing the coping patterns and subjective and objective burden of caregivers who receive this service and those who do not.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentx, 144 leavesen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/53670en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 18631047en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1988.A446en
dc.subject.lcshRespite careen
dc.subject.lcshHome care servicesen
dc.subject.lcshOlder people -- Respite careen
dc.titleFamily caregiving: family strains, coping response patterns, and caregiver burdenen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineFamily and Child Developmenten
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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