A study on the caring pressure of the main caregivers of stroke patients and the corresponding nursing strategies

Objectives: To find out the caring pressure of the main caregivers of stroke patients and its influence on the caregivers?health status. To explore the nursing strategies to relieve the pressure of caregivers. Methods: The main caregivers of stroke patients in 5 hospitals in Fuzhou city were investigated between December 2004 and October 2005. A self-designed questionnaire, Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale were used. Results: There were 100 caregivers who gained 7 scores or more by CSI, being 63.7%. There were 30.8% of caregivers who had anxiety and 25.6% of caregivers who had depression by HAD. Conclusion: Physical and Social strains are the most important pressure of caregivers, followed by work strain and financial strain. The psychological strain of caregivers was relatively lower. Caring pressure makes the caregivers have anxiety and depression symptoms, and makes their health self-evaluation worse. Corresponding nursing interventions should be given to relieve the pressure of caregivers of stroke patients.