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