title: Assessment of self-efficacy for caregiving: the critical role of self-care in caregiver stress and burden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little attention has been given to assessing the importance of self-care and communication in the caregiving setting, especially caregiving for those who are terminally ill. The Caregiver Inventory (CGI), a measure of self-efficacy for caregiving that includes these two dimensions, was subjected to psychometric analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-three primary caregivers completed the CGI; of those, 81 also completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), and a measure of caregiver tasks (ADLR-CG). Based on home visits, social workers also rated the caregiver tasks required (ADLR-SW). Exploratory Factor Analysis, as well as reliability and validity analyses were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fit indices in M + I (V. 5.1) indicated a four factors solution: Managing Medical Information (α = 0.64), Caring for Care Recipient (α = 0.78), Caring for Oneself (α = 0.88), and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions (α = 0.76). The CGI was highly negatively related to stress (PSS, r = -0.54, p = 0.001) and burden (CBI, p = -0.37, p = 0.001); ADLR-CG was related to burden (r = 0.43, p = 0.001) but not stress. In regression and relative importance analyses, Care of Oneself and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions emerged as equal in terms of having the strongest and most robust negative relationships with stress and burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that the CGI is a reliable and valid measure of self-efficacy for caregiving, and indicate the importance of self-efficacy for self-care and for managing difficult communication in successfully navigating the demands of caregiving for terminally ill persons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. tmerluzz@nd.edu
authors.forename: Thomas V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Merluzzi
authors.forename: Errol J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: Dominic O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Vachon
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Heitzmann
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology