Caring for Older Adults: The Effects of Gratitude and Support in Family Caregivers' Care Burden-Distress Relationship

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between caregiver burden and distress among caregivers of older adults and to identify the family gratitude and family support that moderate the relationship between caregiver burden and distress. Caregiver burden was assessed based on the amount of total caregiving time (per week), the gap between the amount of actual and desired caregiving time, and the negative caregiving experiences. Family characteristics were analyzed based on social support theory and social recognition theory to investigate whether family gratitude and economic support from family members moderate the caregiver burden-stress relationship. The analysis was conducted on 501 primary caregivers for older adults from the 2018 National Survey of Family Caregiving. The results of this study are as follows: First, when controlling for other characteristics, family caregivers who reported more negative caregiving experiences (e.g. demanding care, constant surveillance, interference from others) experienced higher levels of distress when their actual caregiving time exceeded their preferred caregiving time. Secondly, primary caregivers who perceived gratitude from their families appeared lower levels of distress. Moreover, the interaction effect between caregiving time gap and acknowledgment was significant, indicating that the recognition of gratitude from family members is meaningful in moderating the distress of primary caregivers in stressful situations. Thirdly, the interaction effect between negative caregiving experiences and economic support was also significant, suggesting that the intensity of distress caused by negative caregiving experiences can be reduced through the financial support provided by family members.