Mental health of informal caregivers of dependent elderly patients after cerebrovascular accident

Abstract

Context: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a challenge due to its social impact, and its repercussions on the lives of victims and families. It is, therefore, relevant to study the mental health of informal caregivers of dependent elderly post-CVA patients. Objective: to determine the mental health predictors of informal caregivers. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted with a non-probability convenience sample of 636 informal caregivers aged 17 – 85 years (mean = 50.19 ± 14.30), residing in the dão Lafões, Portugal. Data collection was supported by: the Screening Scale for Mental Health, the Informal Caregiver Overload Assessment Questionnaire, the Personality Inventory, the Vulnerability to Stress scale, and the Katz Index. Results: mental health was found to be good in 58% of respondents, reasonable in 5.2% and poor in 36.8%. We found 55% of the caregivers to be vulnerable to stress and 45% not to be vulnerable. Vulnerability to stress, implications for personal life and neuroticism were found to be predictors of mental health. Conclusions: evidence indicates that psychological variables predict the mental health of informal caregivers. They must be considered when planning best nursing practices for care and strategies selected to mitigate the impact of stress and overload.