Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting family caregiver burden, and to identify the relationship between family caregiver burden and family function/self-care of psychiatric out-patient. These data were collected by questionnaire from September 20 to October 8, 1993. The subjects were 285 family caregiver of psychiatric out-patients. The instruments used in this study were Caregiver Burden Inventory(CBI) by Novak(1989), self-care performing by Yu(1992), and Family APGAR by Smilkstein(1979). The data were analyzed by cronbach's alpha, mean, standard deviation, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Stepwise Multiple Regression with SPSS/pc+ program. The result of this study were as follows ; 1. The means of family caregiver Burden revealed total 2.00, Time-Dependence Burden 78, developmental Burden 2.22, physical Burden 1.90, social Burden 1.43, emotional Burden 2.18, financial Burden 1.51. family caregiver burden score showed moderate level. time-dependence burden showed the highest score and social burden showed the lowest score. 2. The means of family function revealed total 5.67. 7 through high-21.4% (61), low through 3-38.6%(110). family function score showed moderate level. 3. The means of patient's self-care performance revealed total 137.71. self-care performance showed moderate level. 4. A ststistically significant correlation between family caregiver burden and patient's demographic variables, age (F=3.83, p<.01), marrital status(F=3.50, p<.01), job(F=3.17, p<.01), diagnosis(F=4.46, p<.01), income (F=4.46, p<.01). No significant differences between family caregiver burden and prevalent period, religion, sex (p>.05). 5. A ststistically significant correlation between family caregiver burden and family's demographic variables, age (F=7.34, p<.01), sex(t=-2.63, p<.01), education level(F=7.61, p<.01), income (F=8.13, p<.01), relation with patient (F=6.92, p<.01), job(F=2.03, p<.05), medical service (F=3.89, p<.05), presence of chronically ill without patient(t=-2.01, p<.05) 6. Family function was the highest factor predicting family caregiver burden(R=.4168, R2=.1737), low education level of family, patient's self-care, family income accounted for 36% in family caregiver burden.