title: Caregiving, dyadic quality of life and dyadic relationships in lupus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mostly affects young women, adversely affecting their quality of life (QOL). Caregivers may experience caregiver burden (CGB), and it may lower the quality of their relationship. Herein we studied caregiving and CGB and their effects on QOL and relationships in SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 10 dyads from the Lupus Clinic. Data collected included demographics, CGB (CGB Scale, screen for CGB), QOL (SF-36) and the quality of the dyadic relationship (Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)). We calculated correlation coefficients for associations between (i) CGB and (ii) dyadic QOL or DAS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (± SD) age of SLE patients was 35.2 (± 9) years and of caregivers was 37.3 (± 9.64) years. The mean (± SD, min-max) total CGB score was 9.1 (± 5.8, 0-19). The caregiver's QOL correlated strongly with some of the domains of the patient's QOL. The SLE-related CGB was associated with the caregiver's own QOL and their SLE partner's QOL. The dyadic DAS was linked to the patient's QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because (i) CGB in SLE is associated with the caregiver's own QOL and with their SLE partner's QOL, and because (ii) the dyadic DAS score is linked primarily to the patient's QOL, then to optimize patient health outcomes and to decrease CGB, focus should be not only on the patient but should include the dyadic unit.Significant findings: To optimize patient outcomes of SLE patients, focus should be on the dyadic unit. CGB in SLE is associated with the caregiver's own QOL and with the SLE partner's QOL, making it crucial to study this relationship in more detail.
authors: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Meenakshi_Jolly@rush.edu.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jolly
authors: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Thakkar
authors: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: Mikolaitis
authors: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Block
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Dyad; lupus caregiver burden; relationship health outcomes