Factors Related to Mental Health of Caregiver in Bed – Bound Elders in Wapipathum District, Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytical study aims to investigate factors related to the mental health of caregivers of bed-bound elders in Wapipathum District, Mahasarakham Province. The participant consisted of 106 caregivers of bed-bound elders. Data collection periods from March 1 until April 30, 2017 and were collected by interview and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression.
According to the results of the study, factors related to the mental health of caregivers for bed-bound elders included having a chronic disease (ORadj=3.71; 95%CI=1.34-10.27), feeling burdened (ORadj=5.35; 95%CI=2.01-14.23), the time period for which one has been caring for elders (ORadj=3.23; 95%CI=1.21-8.61), and the emotional instability of the elders for whom one is caring (ORadj=4.52; 95%CI=1.69-12.14).
Therefore, staff and related agencies should attend to the mental health of caregivers by evaluating and following up on their mental health, as well as by providing encouragement and creating caregivers networks for emotional support, especially, caregivers with chronic illness and care for the elderly for more than 8 hours per day. For caregivers do not feel that caring for the elderly is a burden for themselves, especially, who care for bed-bound elders with mood changes. Moreover, they should encourage more family members to take a larger role in helping care for elders, instead of leaving the task to one person, support and take care of the mind of caregivers for bed-bound elders.