title: Caregiver perceptions of accomplishment from assisting people with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify factors of informal caregivers, caregiving, and people with multiple sclerosis (MS) receiving assistance that are associated with perceptions of caregiver accomplishment.
  
  
  METHODS
  National data were collected in a telephone interview survey of 530 informal caregivers and analyzed using an ordered logistic regression model to identify factors associated with perceptions of caregiver accomplishment among 442 of these informal caregivers (caregivers providing all data in their survey responses needed for the regression model).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that age of the person with MS and duration of caregiving measured by the number of hours per week the caregiver assisted the person with MS were significantly linked to positive perceptions of accomplishment. Conversely, the caregiver's perception that assisting the person with MS was emotionally draining, a spousal relationship, and caregiver education levels were significantly associated with negative perceptions of accomplishment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health professionals treating people with MS and their caregivers should be sensitive to the impact caregiving has on the emotional needs of caregivers and to the unique support needs of spousal caregivers. Health practitioners also should be sensitive to the variety of benefit-finding themes expressed by caregivers to facilitate the caregivers' efforts to discover gains in their experiences assisting people with MS, such as perceptions that caregiving provides a sense of accomplishment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA. rbuchanan@pspa.msstate.edu
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: Chunfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States