Effects of caregiver burden on quality of life and coping strategies utilized by caregivers of adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Background While previous studies have evaluated caregivers’ quality of life (QOL), burnout, and stress amongst across a variety of chronic illnesses, few such studies have been related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Caregivers accompanying adult patients with IBD at 6 tertiary centers were enrolled. They completed self-administered surveys related to QOL and burden, including the QOL scale, Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and Brief COPE. Results Of the 200 consecutive caregivers asked to participate, 162 (81.0%) enrolled and completed the survey. A total of 43.8% caregivers reported having a high level of burden as measured by the ZBI. Factors predictive of a high burden included female gender, younger age of caregiver, household income