A longitudinal study of coping and burnout among Japanese family caregivers of frail elders.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to clarify causal relations between coping strategies and burnout in family caregivers of frail elders in Japan.


METHODS
Baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews were conducted with 546 caregivers living in suburban Tokyo. Using newly refined measures, five coping strategies of caregivers (Keeping Their Own Pace, Positive Acceptance of Caregiving Role, Diversion, Informal Support Seeking, and Formal Support Seeking), and caregiver burnout were measured, as well as several confounding factors.


RESULTS
After controlling for these confounding factors, results of cross-lagged effects modelling showed that adoption of a Diversion coping strategy decreased caregiver burnout, while increases in burnout decreased caregiver Positive Acceptance of Caregiving Role.


CONCLUSIONS
The beneficial effect of an Adaptive Avoidance Coping strategy, Diversion, on caregiver mental health was confirmed in this two-wave longitudinal study. The mechanism by which Diversion appears to work is by containing caregiving stressors from completely spilling over into caregivers' personal lives. In addition, we also show that preventing a decline in caregiver mental health (i.e. an increase in burnout) allowed caregivers to more easily embrace the caregiving role and, as a result, elder care-recipients were better positioned to receive high quality care.
Okabayashi
Hideki
H
Department of Psychology and Education, School of Humanities, Meisei University, Tokyo, Japan. okabaya@psy.meisei-u.ac.jp
Sugisawa
Hidehiro
H
Takanashi
Kaoru
K
Nakatani
Yomei
Y
Sugihara
Yoko
Y
Hougham
Gavin W
GW
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014041:Tokyo
Shinrigaku Kenkyu. 1999 Feb;69(6):486-93
10341377
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2001 Jan;56(1):P24-34
11192334
J Health Soc Behav. 1978 Mar;19(1):2-21
649936
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1994 Feb;66(2):350-62
8195990
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2004 Jul;59(4):P177-84
15294921
Gerontologist. 1988 Jun;28(3):391-6
3396919
Psychol Aging. 1999 Jun;14(2):206-19
10403709
Gerontologist. 1994 Feb;34(1):95-102
8150316
Gerontologist. 1990 Oct;30(5):583-94
2276631
Psychol Aging. 1987 Dec;2(4):323-30
3268224
Gerontologist. 1993 Dec;33(6):747-55
8314101
Psychol Aging. 1991 Sep;6(3):392-402
1930756
Res Nurs Health. 1997 Feb;20(1):27-37
9024475
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2000 May;55(3):P142-50
11833976
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1997 Jul;52(4):S180-9
9224446
J Abnorm Psychol. 1990 Aug;99(3):284-90
2212279
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991 Oct;61(4):648-58
1960656
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2003;56(4):307-21
14738212
Int J Rehabil Res. 2001 Sep;24(3):221-6
11560237
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1984 Apr;46(4):877-91
6737198
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 1992-1993;36(3):219-37
1302245
Psychol Aging. 2000 Sep;15(3):437-50
11014707
Psychol Aging. 1989 Dec;4(4):454-63
2695119
Shinrigaku Kenkyu. 2003 Apr;74(1):57-63
12840988