Care burden and psychological factors in family caregivers of diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of caregiver burden among family members of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to investigate the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with this burden.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 125 caregivers of patients attending the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic at Eskişehir City Hospital, selected via consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Index, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests, Pearson's correlation, and a three-step hierarchical multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

Zarit Caregiver Burden Index scores were significantly higher among spousal caregivers and those caring for patients with diabetic complications (p<0.001). Caregiver burden showed moderate-to-strong positive correlations with depression (r=0.48), anxiety (r=0.42), and stress (r=0.51). Patient glycated hemoglobin levels showed a strong positive correlation with both Zarit Caregiver Burden Index (r=0.684) and depression scores (r=0.592). In the final hierarchical regression model, the presence of complications (β=0.35), higher glycated hemoglobin levels (β=0.32), spousal caregiving (β=0.28), stress (β=0.24), and depression (β=0.19) were identified as significant independent predictors of burden. The final model accounted for 51.2% of the total variance (Adjusted R2=0.484).

CONCLUSION

Caring for individuals with diabetes mellitus is associated with a substantial psychological burden on family caregivers. These findings highlight the importance of integrating systematic psychosocial assessment and targeted support into routine diabetes management, particularly for caregivers of patients with poor glycemic control and complications, to mitigate caregiver burden and distress.