title: Influence of caregiver personality on the burden of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the influence of caregiver personality and other factors on the burden of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated a wide range of factors related to the patient-family caregiver dyad in a palliative care setting using a cross-sectional design. Caregiver burden was assessed using the seven-item short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-7). Caregiver personality was assessed using the 10-item short version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), which measures the following five personality dimensions: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Patient- and caregiver-related sociodemographic and psychological factors were included in the analysis because of their potential association with caregiver burden. Clinical patient data were obtained from medical charts or by using other measures. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors associated with caregiver burden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 227 patient-family caregiver dyads. The multivariate analysis revealed that caregiver extroversion was protective against caregiver burden, whereas depressive symptoms in caregivers were related to increased burden. Neuroticism was positively correlated with caregiver burden, but this relationship was nonsignificant following adjustment for depressive symptoms. Patient-related factors were not significantly associated with caregiver burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluating caregiver personality traits could facilitate identification of individuals at greater risk of high burden. Furthermore, depression screening and treatment programs for caregivers in palliative care settings are required to decrease caregiver burden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Il Gok Yangji Hospital,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Ha-Hyun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Clinic,Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital,Hwasun,Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Il-Seon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-Oncology,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-Oncology,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Eul
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-Oncology,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Ik-Joo
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Chonnam National University Medical School,Gwangju,Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Burden; Depression; Extroversion; Palliative care; Personality