Analysis of Social Support and Related Factors of Family Caregivers of Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an age-related chronic noncommunicable disease facing a certain caregiving burden. At present, most studies focus on the caregiving burden and social support of caregivers of patients with moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, but there are few studies on the social support and related factors of caregivers of MCI patients. Objective To explore the social support and related factors of caregivers of MCI patients, and provide evidence for feasible social support for caregivers of MCI patients. Methods A total of 102 family caregivers of patients initially diagnosed as MCI in Weifang Community Health Service Center, Pudong New Area, Shanghai from April 2020 to August 2021 were recruited. A cognitive impairment management group was established to investigate basic information, social support rate score (SSRS), positive aspects of caregiver (PAC) score and Zarit Caregiver Burden Questionnaire (ZBI) score of the caregivers of patients with MCI. The related factors of social support for the participants were analyzed. Results The average score of social support of caregivers of MCI patients was (31.26±6.87), including the average score of objective support as (7.02±2.10), subjective support as (17.93±4.62) and support utilization as (6.31±1.96). Comparison of SSRS scores of caregivers with different marital status, monthly household income status, and understanding of MCI showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status, relationship with patients, living together, and total PAC scores were the related factors of caregivers' objective support (P<0.05), while the relationship with patients, monthly family income, religious belief, and total PAC scores were factors influencing caregivers' subjective support (P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis indicated that the relationship with patients and monthly household income, awareness of MCI and total score of positive feelings were the influencing factors of social support of MCI caregivers (P<0.05) . Conclusion The total social support of family caregivers of MCI patients is low, and the distant relationship between patients and caregivers, low monthly household income, low awareness of MCI, and low positive feelings of caregivers are independent influencing factors on the social support of MCI caregivers. Caregivers should be supported in all aspects at the family, social and community levels, thus improving their happiness and also facilitating collaborative community management of MCI.

Keywords

• cognition disorders|mild cognitive impairment|caregivers|social support|positive feelings|care burden|root cause analysis