Association between stigma and quality of life among chronic refractory wounds patients and informal caregivers: an actor-partner interdependence model analysis

• Published in: Quality of life research 2024-11, Vol.33 (11), p.3131-3140
• Main Authors: Cheng, Ming, Zhu, Chenya, Meng, Jiamin, Pu, Chenxi, Chen, Guoying, Liu, Huan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; China; Chronic Disease - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Public Health; Quality of Life - psychology; Quality of Life Research; Social Stigma; Sociology; Stigma; Surveys and Questionnaires; Wounds and Injuries - psychology
• ISSN: 0962-9343; 1573-2649; 1573-2649
• DOI: 10.1007/s11136-024-03759-0

Purpose The co-occurrence of health impairments in patients and their informal caregivers may be particularly common in intimate care settings in China. Patients with Chronic Refractory Wounds (CRWs) and their informal caregivers constitute a dyad and exhibit dyadic effects during the caring process. Unfortunately, no study has yet explored the dyadic effects of stigma on the QoL of patients with CRWs and their caregivers. Methods We used a convenience sampling method and recruited CRWs patient-caregiver dyads ( N  = 207) in China between April 2022 and October 2023. Results We found that: (i) dyadic members experience varying degrees of stigma; (ii) the actor–partner effect of CRWs patients’ stigma on their own and their informal caregivers’ QoL was significant (Path A 1 : β = − 1.27, Path A 2 : β = − 0.37, Path P 1 : β = − 0.08, Path P 2 : β = − 0.18); (iii) informal caregivers’ stigma adversely affects both their own and their patients’ psychological QoL((Path A 4 : β = − 0.65, Path P 4 : β = − 0.52)). Informal caregivers’ stigma can negatively impact patients’ physical QoL (Path P 3 : β = − 0.17), whereas it does not significantly affect their own physical QoL. Conclusion There is a notable actor–partner effect of the CRWs patients’ stigma on their own and their informal caregivers’ QoL. CRWs patients’ stigma should become a priority for the government to improve CRWs patients’ and informal caregivers’ QoL. Besides, health professionals should be addressing several assessments and interventions to decrease informal caregivers’ affiliate stigma symptoms and improve CRWs patients’ and informal caregivers’ QoL.