{"title":"Emotional Labor of Caregivers of Elderly Patients with Dementia and Disabilities in a Psychiatric Hospital in China.","authors":"Shuo Zhong, Xianfei Chen, Jihong Li","doi":"10.12659/MSM.945722","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND Studies on the emotional labor of caregivers of elderly people with dementia and disabilities are rare. This study aimed to investigate the emotional labor of caregivers of elderly patients with dementia and disabilities in a psychiatric hospital in China and to propose measures to improve emotional labor of the caregivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS Convenience sampling was used in this study. A questionnaire survey was conducted with the caregivers from the Department of Geriatrics, Chengdu Psychiatric Hospital in May 2021. A total of 73 questionnaires were distributed, and 69 valid questionnaires were returned. Descriptive analysis was performed on the frequency and intensity of emotional labor, using minimum value, maximum value, mean, and standard deviation. An independent-sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were performed on the frequency and intensity of emotional labor between different individuals and groups. RESULTS Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were identified in surface acting among caregivers by sex, age, educational attainment, and monthly income. A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was identified between deep acting and emotional expression by marital status. A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was identified between surface acting and deep acting by the number of elderly patients the respondent was taking care of. No statistically significant differences were identified by the form of contract and job position (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Heavy emotional labor and negative emotions widely existed among caregivers of the elderly patients with dementia and disabilities in the psychiatric hospital. More training on emotional labor shall be provided for the caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48888,"journal":{"name":"Medical Science Monitor","volume":"30 ","pages":"e945722"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Medical Science Monitor","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.945722","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on the emotional labor of caregivers of elderly people with dementia and disabilities are rare. This study aimed to investigate the emotional labor of caregivers of elderly patients with dementia and disabilities in a psychiatric hospital in China and to propose measures to improve emotional labor of the caregivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS Convenience sampling was used in this study. A questionnaire survey was conducted with the caregivers from the Department of Geriatrics, Chengdu Psychiatric Hospital in May 2021. A total of 73 questionnaires were distributed, and 69 valid questionnaires were returned. Descriptive analysis was performed on the frequency and intensity of emotional labor, using minimum value, maximum value, mean, and standard deviation. An independent-sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were performed on the frequency and intensity of emotional labor between different individuals and groups. RESULTS Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were identified in surface acting among caregivers by sex, age, educational attainment, and monthly income. A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was identified between deep acting and emotional expression by marital status. A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was identified between surface acting and deep acting by the number of elderly patients the respondent was taking care of. No statistically significant differences were identified by the form of contract and job position (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Heavy emotional labor and negative emotions widely existed among caregivers of the elderly patients with dementia and disabilities in the psychiatric hospital. More training on emotional labor shall be provided for the caregivers.
期刊介绍:
Medical Science Monitor (MSM) established in 1995 is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal which publishes original articles in Clinical Medicine and related disciplines such as Epidemiology and Population Studies, Product Investigations, Development of Laboratory Techniques :: Diagnostics and Medical Technology which enable presentation of research or review works in overlapping areas of medicine and technology such us (but not limited to): medical diagnostics, medical imaging systems, computer simulation of health and disease processes, new medical devices, etc. Reviews and Special Reports - papers may be accepted on the basis that they provide a systematic, critical and up-to-date overview of literature pertaining to research or clinical topics. Meta-analyses are considered as reviews. A special attention will be paid to a teaching value of a review paper.
Medical Science Monitor is internationally indexed in Thomson-Reuters Web of Science, Journals Citation Report (JCR), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI), Index Medicus MEDLINE, PubMed, PMC, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Chemical Abstracts CAS and Index Copernicus.