The Impact of Psychosocial Burden of Spinal Cord Injury Survivors on the Family Caregivers

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the psychosocial burden among family caregivers of spinal cord injury survivors, attending Paraplegic Center Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2018 to August 2019 in Paraplegic Center Hayat Abad Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were collected from family caregivers by using Zarit Burden Interview version-22. The psychosocial burden has been categorized in questionnaire as 0-20 “no burden”, 21-40 “mild”, 41-60 “moderate” and 61-80 “severe burden”. The burden was assessed in the form of feeling strained and stressed, embarrassed, angry, privacy deprivation, insufficient friends, financial constraints, loss of control over life and failure in providing care.

Results: Of 105 individuals, 39 (37.14%) individuals had mild, 58 (55.23%) had moderate and 8 (7.62%) had severe psychosocial burden. Moderate psychosocial burden was found to be higher in females (23/33, 69.6%), individuals with ≤matric educational status (36/59, 61%), unemployed individuals (48/80, 60%), married (38/67, 56.7%), and having duration of care > 2months (22/35, 62.9%). In total, 66 (62.85%) individuals had moderate and severe psychosocial burden. A significant association of psychosocial burden (moderate and severe) was observed with gender (p-value 0.022) and employment (p value 0.025).

Conclusion: The findings concluded that caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury were impacted by psychosocial burden as no participant was found without psychosocial burden. Based on these evidences, there is a need for the appropriate interventions and policies to minimize the psychosocial burden on family members which will lead to improved health outcomes for patients.