The Relationship Between Caregiver Burden and Life Satisfaction in Caregivers of Individuals With Epilepsy: an Example in Eastern Turkey

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between caregiver burden and life satisfaction among caregivers of individuals with epilepsy. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 caregivers at a university hospital located in Van, a province in eastern T & uuml;rkiye. A personal information form prepared by the researcher based on literature, along with The Caregiver Burden Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale, was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were utilized. Kurtosis and Skewness coefficients were used to analyze the normal distribution of the data. The relationships between the dimensions determining the levels of the scales for caregivers were examined using Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses. Additionally, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc analyses (Tukey, LSD) were employed. A significance level of p < 0.05 was accepted. Results: The mean total score for caregiver burden among the participants was found to be 35.433 +/- 11.480. The mean total score for life satisfaction was determined to be 11.386 +/- 2.972. A significant relationship was found between the caregiver burden and life satisfaction scores of the caregivers of individuals with epilepsy participating in the study (r = -0.333; p = 0.000 < 0.05). It was determined that the level of caregiver burden decreases the level of life satisfaction (ss=-0.333). Conclusion: It was determined that relatives of patients with epilepsy experience high levels of caregiver burden. It was also determined that caregiver burden is related to sociodemographic factors such as the caregiver being 41 years of age or older, literate, married, low-income, and the patient's spouse. In the same study, it was also determined that as the total caregiver burden score increased, the total life satisfaction score decreased.