| Affiliation: | 1.Institute of Women’s Health,Tokyo Women’s Medical University 9-9,Tokyo,Japan;2.Department of Psychosomatic Research,National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry,Tokyo,Japan;3.School of Health Sciences Fukuoka,International University of Health and Welfare,Fukuoka,Japan;4.Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine,University of Yamanashi,Chuo,Japan;5.Health Services Center,National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies,Tokyo,Japan |
| Abstract: | BackgroundThere are no studies about the caregiving burdens in families of patients with eating disorders in Japan, and only limited studies on the role of caregivers’ stress coping, social support, and mental health. This study examines caregiving burdens, mental health conditions, and associated factors in caregivers of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients in Japan.MethodsSeventy-nine principal caregivers (70 mothers, 5 fathers, 3 spouses and 1 grandmother; mean age 56.0?±?8.0 years) for outpatients with AN (all female; mean age 26.6?±?7.9 years; BMI 14.6?±?3.2 kg/m2) were evaluated using self-report questionnaires in a cross-sectional study. The questionnaires included caregiving burden (J-ZBI_8), mental health conditions (GHQ28), stress coping styles (CISS), social support (SNQ), severity of the patient’s symptoms from the family’s perspective (ABOS), and family functioning (GF-FAD). Clinical information about the patients was also obtained.ResultsMean caregiving burden assessed by J-ZBI_8 score was 12.4?±?7.0 (SD). The total GHQ score was 31.6?±?13.7 (Likert scoring) and 9.2?±?7.0 (GHQ scoring). Of the respondents, 48 (60.7 %) indicated a high risk for mental health problems that exceeded the cutoff point of the GHQ. Significantly higher caregiving burden and poor mental health conditions were shown in the group who had contact with patients?>?6 h a day compared to the group with daily patient contact?p?=?0.047 and F (2, 76)?=?9.39, p?β?=?0.47, p?β?=?0.38, p?=?0.002) (R2?=?0.401), while predictors of mental health conditions were Emotion-Oriented Coping (β?=?0.522, p?β?=??0.419, p?β?=?0.201, p?=?0.042) (R2?=?0.602).ConclusionCaregivers of AN patients experienced heavy burdens and manifested poor mental health conditions. The severity of the patient’s symptoms from the family’s perspective and the greater use of emotion-oriented coping were associated with higher burdens. Greater use of emotion-oriented coping, less affective support and longer contact with patients were related to worse mental health conditions. Interventions to promote caregivers’ adaptive coping styles may help reduce their caregiving burden and improve their mental health. |
