Stress among family caregivers of older persons in Singapore

It is projected that, in the 21st century, the majority of the world's older people will be living in Asia. After Japan, Singapore is the most rapidly aging country in Asia. With an increasing life expectancy, many older persons will require health and instrumental care during later life stages...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cross-cultural gerontology 2005-12, Vol.20 (4), p.319-334
Main Author: Mehta, Kalyani K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Aged
Ageing
Asia
Asian Continental Ancestry Group - psychology
Attitude - ethnology
Caregiver Burden
Caregivers
Caregivers - psychology
Caring
Depression (Psychology)
Elderly
Family - psychology
Family relations
Female
Gerontology
Health Status
Humans
Intergenerational relations
Longevity
Male
Mental stress
Middle Aged
Old age
Older people
Sex Factors
Singapore
Social Support
Social work
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress
Stress, Psychological - ethnology
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Summary:It is projected that, in the 21st century, the majority of the world's older people will be living in Asia. After Japan, Singapore is the most rapidly aging country in Asia. With an increasing life expectancy, many older persons will require health and instrumental care during later life stages. In Singapore, close to 95% of older people co-reside with family members, highlighting the importance of community support for family caregivers. Using a study of 61 principal family caregivers in Singapore, this article highlights the nature of and relationship between caregivers' stress and gender, patients' activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL dependency, and caregivers' attitudes. Findings from the study suggest that female caregivers tended to be more stressed than male caregivers. Results also showed a significant inverse relationship between the level of stress experienced by caregivers and the ADL and instrumental ADL dependency of patients. Caregivers looking after patients suffering from dementia, Parkinson's disease, and hypertension were more likely to be stressed than those caring for persons with stroke, depression, and other illnesses. This article concludes by describing some implications of this research for social worker practice and for informal as well as formal support programs for family caregivers.
ISSN:0169-3816
1573-0719
DOI:10.1007/s10823-006-9009-z