Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Caregivers

Friday, November 11, 2022

10:17 AM – 10:22 AM

Location: Station 4

Presenting Author(s)

SK

Shirit Kamil-Rosenberg

Research Coordinator
VA Palo Alto Healthcare System
Palo Alto, California, United States
SP

Sheila Park, BS

Research Assistant
Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System
Palo Alto, California, United States

Non-presenting Author(s)

J Kaci Fairchild, Phd, ABPP

Associate Director
Sierra Pacific MIRECC at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System
Palo Alto, California, United States

Research Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers psychological and physical health.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study

Setting: VA Hospital

Participants: Seventy participants (mean age=59.3±15.8, Females=90%) caring for individuals with dementia and/or traumatic brain injury were evaluated. The group was dichotomized into two groups: those screened before shelter-in-place (SIP) orders were initiated (pre-SIP; n = 48) and those were screened after the SIP were implemented (post-SIP; n = 22).

Interventions: Not Applicable

Main Outcome Measures: Areas of interest included burden using the Zarit Burden Interview; social support was assessed using the Social Support Questionnaire; self-reported health was assessed by asking “Compared to others your age, how would you rate your health?” and “Compared to perfect health, how would you rate your health?”; depression was assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, worry was assessed with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and physical activity was measured using the Yale Physical Activity Survey.

Results: Non-parametric analyses (e.g., Mann-Whitney U Test) revealed that post-SIP caregivers rated their health significantly worse than pre-SIP caregivers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, post-SIP caregivers also reported spending significantly more time in caregiving activities (p = 0.01) than pre-SIP caregivers. The two groups did not significantly differ on measures of burden, social support, and physical activity, depression, worry.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased caregiving responsibilities and negatively impacted caregiver health, though does not appear to have worsened key measures of caregiver psychological health (e.g., depression, burden, and worry). These findings highlight the relationship between increased caregiving responsibilities and worsened caregiver health. These findings also highlight the importance of continuing to provide supportive services for this vulnerable population to maintaining caregiver health.

Author(s) Disclosures: There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participant will be able to evaluate how shelter in place might might impact caregivers
Upon completion, participant will be able to know that there was a negative impact of COVID on cargivers.
Upon completion, participants will be able to understand that the findings highlight the relationship between increased caregiving responsibilities and worsened caregiver health.