title: Anxious attachment style and hopelessness as predictors of burden in caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies on caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOCs) have highlighted that their overall burden is not related to disease duration or diagnosis, but mainly to their personal characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of attachment style and hopelessness on overall burden in caregivers of patients in both vegetative state and minimally conscious state.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen caregivers of patients with DOCs, hosted in a long-term care facility, were assessed using the Caregiver Burden Inventory, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Socio-demographic information was also collected. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics, correlations, one sample t-test and a multiple regression analysis using SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Burden was not associated with duration of caregiving and gender had no effect on overall burden. Multiple regression analysis indicated that preoccupied attachment style and hopelessness together predicted 49% of the total variability of burden (R(2 )= 0.489; adjusted R = 0.43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that caregivers need psychological assessment and support in order to keep under control the level of burden and to help themselves be a better resource for their relatives.
authors.affiliation: Santa Viola Hospital , Bologna , Italy .
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romaniello
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farinelli
authors.forename: Nunzio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matera
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertoletti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pedone
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Northoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Attachment; burden; caregivers; hopelessness; minimally conscious state; vegetative state