Burden, coping mechanisms, and quality of life among caregivers of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis undergoing and renal transplant patients

CONTEXT: Investigations on burden, coping, and quality of life (QOL) in caregivers of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) undergoing and renal transplant (RT) patients may lead to the well-being of caregivers, and these studies are sparse and nil in Indian context. AIM: This study aims to comparatively evaluate the burden, coping mechanisms, and QOL among caregivers of HD and PD undergoing and RT patients. SETTING AND DESIGN: Tertiary care hospital, cross-sectional and descriptive study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Burden, coping mechanisms, and QOL in caregivers of HD and PD undergoing and RT patients were investigated using Zarit burden interview, revised ways of coping and short-form 36 in 30 each caregivers of HD and PD undergoing and RT patients. RESULTS: Moderate to severe burden, mild to moderate burden, and no burden were observed in the majority of caregivers of HD and PD undergoing and RT patients. Significantly higher mean burden score in caregivers of HD undergoing than RT patients (P < 0.01); accepting responsibility in caregivers of RT than PD undergoing patients; social functioning in caregivers of HD than PD undergoing patients; and general health in caregivers of RT than HD undergoing patients, was observed. Lower physical component was common in each group, whereas accepting responsibility in HD, self-controlling in PD, and age and escape avoidance in RT were found to be the specific predictors of the burden score. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of HD and PD undergoing and RT patients have different levels of burden, use different mechanisms to cope, and showed different predictors of burden score.