The level of depression and quality of life of caregivers to stroke survivors

Year 2016, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 23 - 28, 17.04.2016

Halil Ekrem Akkurt , Halim Yılmaz , İlknur Albayrak Gezer Haluk Gümüş , Faruk Ömer Odabaş Metin Turan Büşra Varman Alparslan İzki

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the level of depression
and quality of life and investigating their correlations with
certain concurrent problems in caregivers to stroke patients
and comparing these results to those obtained in
healthy volunteers.
84 caregivers to stroke patients were included in the patient
group while the control group included 77 healthy
volunteers who were not responsible for caregiving to any
chronic patient. The Modified Rankin Scale was used to
determine the disability level of stroke survivors and the
National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used
to determine the severity of stroke; the Functional Independence
Measure (FIM) was used to determine the functional
level of stroke survivors. The Beck Depression Inventory
(BDI) was used to determine the level of depression
and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine
the level of pain. The level of depression in the caregiver
and control groups was assessed by using the BDI, their
quality of life was assessed by using the Short Form-36 (SF-
36) and their level of pain was assessed by using the VAS.
In addition, the level of fatigue of caregivers and controls
was assessed by using a 0 to 10 scale (no fatigue at all and
extreme fatigue).
Intergroup comparisons revealed that the level of depression,
the level of fatigue and the level of pain were statistically
significantly higher while mental quality of life was
lower in the caregiver group (p<0.05), and no significant
difference was found between two groups in the physical
component of the quality of life (p>0.05).
The level of depression, the level of pain and the level of
fatigue in caregiver group revealed a negative impact associated
with caregiving to a stroke survivor. Therefore,
these parameters should be assessed in people who are
responsible for caregiving to stroke survivors and especially
mental and psychological influences of caregiving should
be taken in consideration.

Keywords

inme, bakımveren, depresyon düzeyi, yaşam kalitesi

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