title: Chinese family caregivers of stroke survivors: Determinants of caregiving burden within the first six months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the family caregivers' caregiving experience for stroke survivors and to identify the determinants of caregiving burden over 6 months.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Sociocultural factors influence the caregiving experience in China. However, little is known about the dynamic changes occurring in Chinese caregivers' burden and its determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 328 participants (164 stroke survivors and 164 family caregivers) from the neurological units of three hospitals in Shiyan were examined during a 6-month period at 1-2 days before discharge (T1) and 3 weeks (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) postdischarge using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Caregiver Strain Index and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 209 dyads recruited, 164 completed all data collection phases, with 69% of the female caregivers aged 56.04 (SD = 4.0; range = 22-80) years. Caregivers reported higher mean burden at T1 (7.35 ± 2.9) but slightly decreased over time at T4 (6.34 ± 3.4), had borderline mean depressive symptoms only in T1 (9.71 ± 3.2) and T2 (9.02 ± 3.8) and had moderate mean social support throughout the 6-month period. Determinants of caregiving burden were stroke survivors' physical dependence, caregivers' age, caring hours per day, depressive symptoms and social support, which explained 46.8%-55.0% of the total variance (p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregivers' burden remains a serious problem in the first 6 months. It is an increasing hazard, especially for those at an advanced age who have depressive symptoms and care for severely dependent stroke survivors requiring more caring hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses need to be aware of and understand caregivers' cultural values and beliefs about family obligations when considering an intervention to support them in their role at home.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.|Department of Nursing, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yilan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xuelin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5119-7806
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore.
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China; D003469:Culture; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; burden; caregivers; depression; social support; stroke