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. 2018 Nov;31(6):329-335.
doi: 10.1177/0891988718802111. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

Positive Caregiving Characteristics as a Mediator of Caregiving Burden and Satisfaction With Life in Caregivers of Older Adults

Restria Fauziana  1 , Rajeswari Sambasivam  1 , Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar  1 , Edimansyah Abdin  1 , Hui Lin Ong  1 , Min-En Tan  1 , Siow Ann Chong  1 , Mythily Subramaniam  1
Affiliations

Positive Caregiving Characteristics as a Mediator of Caregiving Burden and Satisfaction With Life in Caregivers of Older Adults

Restria Fauziana et al. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Satisfaction with life is recognized to be a factor in alleviating burden in stressful caregiving duties. However, the mechanism underlying this relationship is indistinct. Positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) may help to regulate caregiving burden among caregivers of older adults. The study aims to examine whether positive caregiving characteristics mediate the effect between satisfaction with life and burden of care.

Methods: Participants were 285 caregivers of older adults (aged 60 and above) in Singapore and were recruited in a cross-sectional, self-report study (mean [M] = 47.0 years; 64.6% females). Measures included in the study were the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Mediation analyses were used to study the indirect effects of life satisfaction on caregiver burden through features of PAC.

Results: Mean scores for the ZBI, PAC, and SWLS scales were M = 23.15 (standard deviation [SD] = 15.98), M = 34.55 (SD = 8.19), and M = 23.56 (SD = 6.62) respectively. Results from the mediation analysis revealed that the association between life satisfaction and caregiving burden was significantly mediated by the PAC ( P < .001).

Discussion: Positive aspects of caregiving may be a mechanism that links satisfaction with life and caregiver burden. Findings may represent attempts to manage caregiving duties as well as maintaining a positive attitude toward their responsibilities.

Keywords: burden; caregiver; caregiving; older adults; positive caregiving; satisfaction with life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mediation model with standardized coefficients.
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