Caregiver Burden and its Determinants among the Family Members of Patients with Dementia in Iran

BACKGROUND: “Caregiver Burden” is actually an expression addressing the adverse consequences of the care provided to the patients’ with dementia. Review of the previous studies reveals a higher rate of depression and anxiety among the caregivers as compared to the general population. This study has been designed to evaluate the caregiver burden and then the factors influencing it among caregivers of patients with dementia in Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 153 patients and their caregivers registered in the Memory Clinic in Roozbeh Hospital and Iranian Alzheimer Association (IAA) were included. Data collection scales were Iranian Version of Caregiver Burden, Global Deterioration scale and Barthel index. Multiple linear regression model was applied to determine the factors influencing the caregiver burden. RESULTS: Out of the 153 patients, 90 were male. The mean age calculated for the patients and the caregivers was 77.1 and 53, respectively. The mean of caregiver burden was 55.2. Three variables, gender (P<0.01), education of the patient (P<0.005 for illiterate patients), and the patient's dependence on the caregiver for his/her daily tasks (P<0.000)) were correlated with a high level of burden on the caregiver. The recommended model explains 0.664% of the variance of the outcome variable. CONCLUSION: Presence of either moderate or higher levels of burden (58-116) in more than 50% of the caregivers of these patients’ highlights the need for more attention from health policy makers in Iran. Promoting the level of caregivers’ quality of life along with enabling the patients in performing their daily tasks in order to reduce the imposed burden on caregivers’ is recommended.