Psychological Distress Reported by Family Caregivers of Older Persons with Dementia in Hong Kong

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine psychological distress reported by family caregivers of dementia patients in Hong Kong. A sample of 177 caregivers was recruited from local non-governmental organizations. Patient self-care ability and behavior problems, caregiver burnout symptoms and psychological distress were assessed, using validated Chinese versions of existing reliable and valid scales. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the impacts of self-care ability, behavior problems and burnout symptoms on caregiver psychological distress. Results showed that patient self-care ability and problem behavior were associated with caregiver psychological distress (B=-.185 &.277, p<.05). A full mediation was observed where the addition of burnout symptoms to the regression model reduced the relation of patient self-care ability and problem behavior to caregiver psychological distress (B=.000 & .039). The final model accounted for 54% of the variance in caregiver psychological distress. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.