Lyons et al. (2009) [25] USA | To examine the roles of optimism, pessimism, mutuality, and spouse gender in predicting role strain in PD spouses over a 10-year period
Role strain-difficulty fulfilling the family care role | 118 caregivers (Spouses ) | Multilevel modelling
Yes | Female gender predicted both higher role strain at Year 10 and a more rapid increase in role strain over the 10-year period when controlled for stage of PD and caregiver spouse age. Higher disease stage predicted role strain at Year 10, but not more rapid increases over this period |
Sarandol et al. (2009) [34] Turkey | To determine factors that increase caregiver burden and depression and to investigate if adult children and spouses differ in their perception of burden
“The extent to which caregivers perceive that their health and social life are adversely affected because of their caregiving” (p. 92) | 57 caregivers (35 spouses, 22 adult children)
| Mann-Whitney U-Test Stepwise regression analysis
No | Female caregivers compared to male caregivers and adult child caregivers compared to spouse caregivers experienced significantly higher burden. Patient’s depression and behavioural disturbances were determinants of caregiver burden |
Stella et al. (2009) [51] Brazil | To identify the impact of patient neuropsychiatric symptoms on caregiver burden
No definition | 50 caregivers (Not given)
| Pearson’s product moment correlation Analysis of variance
No | Caregiver burden was proportional with the degree of neuropsychiatric symptomatology. Caregiver burden was significantly lower in caregivers of non-depressed/non-demented patients compared to caregivers of patients with depression or dementia |
Carter et al. (2008) [28] USA | To examine the relationship between specific clinical motor and non-motor symptoms in early and middle stage PD to caregiver strain and depression
No definition | 219 caregivers (Spouses)
| Hierarchical regression analyses
Yes | Patient cognitive impairment and depression have a much greater impact on caregiver strain than the motor symptoms in early and middle stage PD |
Goldsworthy and Knowles (2008) [41] Australia | To examine the relationships between caregiver stressors, and protective factors associated with caregiver burden and quality of life
No definition | 136 caregivers (81.6% spouses 88.2% cohabitants) | Path analysis
No | The caregiver stressors; patient behavioural problems and functional dependency contributed to caregiver burden. Patient cognitive impairment and hours of caregiving did not |
Martinez-Martin et al. (2008) [9] Spain | To analyse the association between the characteristics of patients with PD and their caregivers and caregiver burden, perceived health and mood status, and to identify their predictors
A concept linked to external aspects dependent on the patient, the environment and personal characteristics | 286 caregivers (217 spouses, 39 children 23 other relatives, 7 others) | Multivariate linear regression based on factor analysis
No | All patient-related factors (including mood, autonomic dysfunction, pain, fatigue, disease duration, disability, motor complication, sleep disorders, age and cognition) were predictors of caregiver burden |
Aarsland et al. (2007) [47] Norway | To explore the profile of neuropsychiatric symptoms in PD patients with dementia
No definition | 537 caregivers (Not reported) | Analysis of variance based on cluster analysis
Yes | Based on a cluster analysis of associated neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients, the highest caregiver distress score was observed in the agitation cluster followed by the psychosis and the mood clusters |