CAREGIVER'S BURDEDN

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, and caring for stroke survivors often places a significant burden on family members or informal caregivers. This burden may adversely affect their physical health, psychological well-being, and overall quality of life. Aim: To assess the level of caregiving burden among caregivers of stroke survivors and to examine its association with their quality of life and depression level. Method: A purposive sampling technique was used. Data were collected from caregivers of stroke survivors in the wards and out-patient departments in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) using standardized questionnaires such as the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) for caregiver burden, Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire (AC-QoL) to measure quality of life and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression. Results: Females constituted 57.6% of the informal caregivers, whereas males accounted for 42.4%. 75.2% of the caregivers had significant level of burden, and 59.5% had depression, with demonstrable association between the two conditions (χ2 = 99.3, p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the scores for caregivers’ burden and depression (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). The severity of caregiver burden correlated positively with the severity of depression (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The caregiver burden among caregivers of stroke survivors in Benin City is moderate. They also have moderate overall quality of life and experienced mild to moderate depressive symptoms.