Abstract: Background: The term burden refers to the emotional and physical strain experienced by caregivers when providing care for a client. This burden is considered a form of agony. Caregivers, usually family members, have various responsibilities such as personal care, financial support, medical assistance, and transportation arrangements. Coping strategies are utilized to manage stress, with effectiveness varying based on the situation and individual preferences. A study aimed to evaluate coping strategies and burden among caregivers of cardiovascular patients.
Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Cardiology Centre Multan from 1 February to 31 August, 2016. As the study was of particular importance for examining the significance of coping strategies used by care givers to cope with their burden during treatment of CHD patients; the gender, age, relationship with recipient, and duration of disease were taken as independent variables. Information about independent variables, coping strategies, and burden were collected using scales; Way of Coping Scale and Zarit Burden Interview Scale respectively.
Result: A total of 90 caregivers with mean age of 32.09±8.80 years participated in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. Caregivers were predominately women (N=67, 74.4%), married (N=65, 72.2%), unemployed (N=66, 73.3%), and had children (N=57, 63.3%). Nearly half of the sample had a diploma or academic education (N=46, 51.1%) and had a self-reported middle-range income (N=50, 55.6%). Nearly 90% of the caregivers reported not having any chronic diseases.
Conclusion: The study revealed that a significant number of caregivers in 30-40 age group faced a high burden of care, leading them to employ diverse coping strategies. Counselling can offer emotional support, guidance, and practical advice to caregivers, enabling them to effectively manage challenges and maintain their well-being while caring for cardiovascular patients.