The Association of Caregiver Burden with Perceived Stress and Youth Symptomatology

Abstract

This exploratory study was focused on caregivers’ burden and stress in families with youths hospitalized for severe psychiatric disorders. The study utilized survey research on caregivers’ perceptions and ratings of burden, stress and youths’ psychiatric symptoms that were gathered in a larger study on school related difficulties reported by youths admitted to a psychiatric unit. Caregivers (n = 24) reported moderate to severe burden, moderate stress, and psychosocial problems (attention, internalizing, and externalizing problems) among youths. Perceived parental stress and youths’ psychiatric symptoms were not significantly associated with caregivers’ objective and subjective burden. Themes included services and support, financial situation/concerns, and adjustment and coping. The most prominent theme was services and support, which included concerns about the quality of mental health care, satisfaction and positive attitudes towards services and support, and suggestions for improvement of services and support. The limitations, implications and conclusions of the results are discussed.