Stress in carers of the elderly. A controlled study of patients attending a Sydney family medical practice.
OBJECTIVE
To examine stress in carers of the elderly who attended a solo family medical practice.


METHODS
Eighty-seven carers were compared with 102 non-caregiving controls. Subjects were asked to complete survey questionnaires either in the surgery or at home. The General Health Questionnaire (CHQ) was used to assess psychological morbidity, the Relative Stress Scale as a measure of subjective burden and information was collected on activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.


RESULTS
No significant difference was found in GHQ scores, reflecting the high level of stress in this family practice sample (mean GHQ = 4.7, standard deviation = 6.2). Psychological morbidity in carers was associated with the provision of assistance with instrumental activities of daily living such as shopping, cooking and finances.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that because carers often encounter specific challenges which may be amenable to intervention, general practitioners should familiarise themselves with these issues, determine the caregiving status of their patients and provide information about community services to carers.
Payda
C
C
Academic Department of Psychogeriatrics, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, Sydney.
Draper
B
B
Luscombe
G
G
Ehrlich
F
F
Maharaj
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires