Stroke: After a stroke, the more prepared the caregiver, the higher the quality of life of the patient

Stroke has an important impact on the lives of survivors because it is associated with a number of physical disabilities, including impaired mobility, aphasia, hemiplegia, and restrictions on activities of daily living
.

In the first year after a stroke, stroke survivors may experience some psychological consequences, such as depression, which affects approximately 30% of survivors

Depression is associated with a decline in the quality of life (QOL) of survivors
.

Brain stroke not only have a negative impact on the survivors, and their informal caregivers also have an impact, they provide most of the care in the whole rehabilitation process

Stroke

Informal caregivers play an important role in helping stroke survivors, but they also have an adverse effect on their own mental health, especially in the first year after the survivors are discharged from the hospital
.

It is estimated that more than 40% of stroke caregivers will experience depression after stroke survivors are discharged from the hospital, which has a negative impact on their QOL

But it is not clear whether this relationship is regulated by other variables that can reduce the impact of depression on QOL

Previous studies on other health conditions have shown that better preparation for caregivers is not only related to the outcome of the caregiver, but also to the outcome of the patient
.

For example, researchers have observed that caregivers who are better prepared for care are less burdened, less stressed, less emotionally disturbed, and have a better contribution to self-care; regarding patients, there is evidence that better preparations for caregivers It is related to lower readmission risk, higher QOL and better recovery

Considering the above aspects, it is worth knowing whether the caregiver's preparedness will regulate the relationship between depression and QOL in the stroke survivor-caregiver relationship, because interventions to strengthen the caregiver's preparedness will alleviate depression for stroke survivors -Negative effects of QOL in the caregiver relationship
.

Because the intervention to strengthen the preparedness of the caregiver will reduce the negative impact of depression on the QOL of the stroke survivor-caregiver relationship
.

In this way, Gianluca Pucciarelli and others at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, explored the role of caregivers' readiness on the regulation of depression and QOL in the stroke survivor-caregiver relationship
.

They adopted a longitudinal design and followed up every 3 months for a year
.

Consider the non-independent nature of the data (survivors and their caregivers), and use a multi-level model to analyze the data at the partner level

They analyzed a sample of 222 stroke survivors-caregivers
.

The age of stroke survivors (M=70.

The degree of preparedness of caregivers significantly adjusted the relationship between survivor’s depression and survivor’s psychology (B=0.
56, P<0.
01) and environment (B=0.
58, P<0.
01) QOL, as well as the relationship between social QOL and time (B=0.
24, P<0.
05)
.

Similarly, the preparation of the caregiver also significantly adjusted the relationship between the depression of the caregiver and the QOL of the caregiver's body (B=0.
25, P<0.
01) and the environment (B=0.
18, P<0.
05)
.

The significance of this research lies in the discovery: The preparation of the caregiver has a positive effect on both members
.

Assessing the preparedness of the stroke-caregiver can help motivate clinicians to develop and implement interventions for both stroke survivors and caregivers

The preparation of the caregiver has a positive effect on both members
.

Original Source:
Pucciarelli G, Lyons KS, Petrizzo A, et al.
Protective Role of Caregiver Preparedness on the Relationship Between Depression and Quality of Life in Stroke Dyads .
Stroke.
Published online September 9, 2021.
doi:10.
1161/STROKEAHA.
120.
034029

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