Care stressors and perceived stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults with disabilities: The mediation effect of resilience

• Published in: Geriatric nursing (New York) 2024-03, Vol.56, p.252-258
• Main Authors: Liu, Zeyu, Jia, Congxi, Yue, Lirong, Zhou, Yuanjin, Wang, Shuangshuang, Yao, Nengliang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Aged; Caregivers - psychology; Caregiving stress; China; Chinese older adults with disabilities; Disabled Persons; Humans; Resilience; Resilience, Psychological; Stress, Psychological - psychology
• ISSN: 0197-4572; 1528-3984; 1528-3984
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.02.020

•Family caregivers of Chinese older adults living with disabilities are experiencing extensive caregiving stress.•Perceived stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults living with disabilities was affected by physical and mental health of both themselves and the care recipients, as well as care intensity and financial difficulties.•Resilience played a partial mediating role in the associations among three stressors (i.e. older adults’ disability levels, number of chronic diseases, and caregivers’ self-reported mental) and perceived caregiving stress. Guided by the Stress Process Model, this study examined the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between care stressors and perceived caregiving stress. Data were based on 234 older adults with disabilities and their caregivers from 6 urban districts and 6 rural counties from Jinan, China. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, ordinary least squares regression, and mediation analysis were performed. Perceived stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults with disabilities was affected by the physical and mental health of both themselves and the care recipients, as well as care intensity and financial difficulties. Resilience played a partial mediating role in the associations among three stressors (i.e. older adults’ disability levels, number of chronic diseases, and caregivers’ self-reported mental) and perceived caregiving stress. Enhanced resilience aids caregivers' adaptation to their roles, suggesting the need for societal, spiritual, emotional, and behavioral resilience training.