TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1997//
TI  - Spouses of spinal cord injury survivors: the added impact of caregiving
JO  - Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
A1  - Weitzenkamp, D. A.
A1  - Gerhart, K. A.
A1  - Charlifue, S. W.
A1  - Whiteneck, Gale Gibson
A1  - Savic, G.
SP  - 822
EP  - 827
VL  - 78
IS  - 8
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To better understand the needs of spouses who provide care to spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors, by comparing their self-perceptions and complaints with those of their partners with disabilities and with those of spouses who do not provide care. DESIGN: Survey, including demographics, health concerns questionnaire, and administration of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-Z), and the Quality of Life and Individual Needs Questionnaire. SETTING: Two British SCI treatment centers, serving a defined population-based catchment area. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-four spouses of a longitudinally followed sample of SCI survivors, all of whom had been injured 23 or more years when the study was conducted in 1993. OUTCOME MEASURES: Scores on the above standardized tests, and responses to survey questions. RESULTS: Spouses had more depressive affect (p < .001) than their partners with disabilities, as measured by the CES-D. On the PSS, they exhibited no significant differences. Compared with spouses who were not caregivers, the caregiving spouses reported more physical stress (p = .005), emotional stress (p = .011), burnout (p = .007), fatigue (p = .002), and anger and resentment (p = .029). On the CES-D, they had more symptoms of depressive affect (p = .004) and somatic depression (p = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Spouses of long-term SCI survivors who fulfill a caregiving role report more symptoms of stress and depression than their partners with disabilities and other spouses who are not caregivers.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0003-9993
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -