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

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 (r_s = 0.462; p = 0.000). There was no relationship between overall spirituality and caregiver overload (r_s = -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.