Stress and Spirituality Related to Overload in Caregivers of Totally Dependent Older Adults

Authors

Keywords:

elderly, caregivers, psychological stress, spirituality.

Abstract

Introduction: The older adult population requires attention because of the changes as a result of aging. The caregivers’ attention provided to dependent older adults often produces stress. Caregivers turn to spirituality to cope with the overload and stressors of caregiving.

Objective: To relate stress and spirituality with overload in caregivers of totally dependent older adults.

Methods: A descriptive and correlational study was conducted with a population of caregivers of older adults from a community health jurisdiction center in Heroica Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, between January and July 2021. Through convenience sampling, 75 participants made up a sample obtained as an infinite population. A personal data questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Spirituality Questionnaire and the Zarit scale were applied. The data were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS (version 21), descriptive statistics were used and Spearman's correlation was performed.

Results: 56 % of the caregivers were children to dependent older adults, who were, on average, 5.21 (SD = 3.68) daily hours or 7.67 (SD = 2.28) months dedicated to caregiving. A relationship was found between stress and caregiver overload (rs = 0.462; p = 0.000). There was no relationship between overall spirituality and caregiver overload (rs = -0.169; p = 0.147).

Conclusions: Although the relationship between overall spirituality and caregiver overload was not significant, there was a relationship between stress and caregiver overload.

 

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Author Biographies

Tirso Durán Badillo, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Heroica Matamoros, Tamaulipas,

Doctor en Metodología de la Enseñanza. Profesor de Tiempo Completo e Investigador en la Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Matamoros de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas

Berenice Elizabeth Donjuan Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Heroica Matamoros, Tamaulipas,

Maestra en Enfermería por la Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Matamoros de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas

Jorge Luis Herrera Herrera, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Enfermería. Montería, Córdoba,

Magister en Enfermería. Estudiante de Doctorado en Enfermería en la  Universidad de Antioquía y Docente e Investigador en la Universidadd de Sinú del Programa de Enfermería.

Yolima Judith Llorente Pérez, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Enfermería. Montería, Córdoba,

Estudiante de Doctorado en Enfermería en la Universidad de Antioquía y Docente e Investigador en la Universidadd de Sinú del Programa de Enfermería.

Diana Berenice Cortes Montelongo, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila. Saltillo, Coahuila,

Doctora en Ciencias de Enfermería en la Facultad de Enfermería “Dr. Santiago Valdés Galindo” de la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila en Saltillo, Coahula, México

Jesus Alejandro Guerra Ordoñez, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Heroica Matamoros, Tamaulipas,

Doctor en Ciencias de Enfermería por la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Profesor de Tiempo Completo e Investigador en la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas

Published

2023-09-11

How to Cite

1.
Durán Badillo T, Donjuan Díaz BE, Herrera Herrera JL, Llorente Pérez YJ, Cortes Montelongo DB, Guerra Ordoñez JA. Stress and Spirituality Related to Overload in Caregivers of Totally Dependent Older Adults. Rev. cuba. enferm. [Internet]. 2023 Sep. 11 [cited 2025 Mar. 14];39(1). Available from: https://revenfermeria.sld.cu/index.php/enf/article/view/5590

Issue

Section

Original Investigation