Yu Sun1, Masao Iwagami2,3, Taeko Watanabe3, Nobuo Sakata2,3, Takehiro Sugiyama2,3,4,5, Atsushi Miyawaki3,6, Nanako Tamiya2,3. 1. Department of Health Services Research, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 2. Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 3. Health Services Research and Development Center, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 4. Diabetes and Metabolism Information Center, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. 5. Institute for Global Health Policy Research, Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. 6. Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
AIM: Family caregivers can experience psychological distress, resulting in physical and mental health problems, and discontinuation of caregiving. This study's objective was to examine factors associated with caregiver psychological distress. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016, which included 12 504 pairs of caregivers and care recipients sharing a household in Japan. Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was used to measure caregiver psychological distress. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with caregiver psychological distress (K6 score ≥5). RESULTS: Caregivers' median K6 score was 3 (interquartile range 0-7), and 38.6% had a K6 score ≥5. K6 scores ≥5 were positively associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.21-1.51), poor caregiver health status (compared with "very good," 9.48, 95% CI 7.91-11.37 for "not very good/poor"), longer care time (compared with "help only when needed," 1.40, 95% CI 1.25-1.58 for "almost all day") and dementia (1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.28), lower respiratory tract disease (1.25, 95% CI 1.06-1.49) and diabetes (1.16, 95% CI 1.00-1.33) in care recipients. K6 scores ≥5 were negatively associated with older caregiver age (compared with 20-54 years, 0.65, 95%CI 0.58-0.74 for 55-64 years, 0.54, 95%CI 0.46-0.63 for 65-74 years and 0.50, 95% CI 0.40-0.62 for ≥75 years), employment (0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97) and being a care recipient's child-in-law (compared with spouse 0.75, 95% CI 0.61-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: The findings identified several factors associated with caregiver psychological distress, showing that particular attention might need to be paid to caregivers with these risk factors. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.
AIM: Family caregivers can experience psychological distress, resulting in physical and mental health problems, and discontinuation of caregiving. This study's objective was to examine factors associated with caregiver psychological distress. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016, which included 12 504 pairs of caregivers and care recipients sharing a household in Japan. Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was used to measure caregiver psychological distress. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with caregiver psychological distress (K6 score ≥5). RESULTS: Caregivers' median K6 score was 3 (interquartile range 0-7), and 38.6% had a K6 score ≥5. K6 scores ≥5 were positively associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.21-1.51), poor caregiver health status (compared with "very good," 9.48, 95% CI 7.91-11.37 for "not very good/poor"), longer care time (compared with "help only when needed," 1.40, 95% CI 1.25-1.58 for "almost all day") and dementia (1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.28), lower respiratory tract disease (1.25, 95% CI 1.06-1.49) and diabetes (1.16, 95% CI 1.00-1.33) in care recipients. K6 scores ≥5 were negatively associated with older caregiver age (compared with 20-54 years, 0.65, 95%CI 0.58-0.74 for 55-64 years, 0.54, 95%CI 0.46-0.63 for 65-74 years and 0.50, 95% CI 0.40-0.62 for ≥75 years), employment (0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97) and being a care recipient's child-in-law (compared with spouse 0.75, 95% CI 0.61-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: The findings identified several factors associated with caregiver psychological distress, showing that particular attention might need to be paid to caregivers with these risk factors. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.