4.4 Association between perceived burden, coping strategies and demographic variables
4.4.3 Association between perceived burden and coping strategies
Participants of household income between R1000- R2000 formed 47,2% and those with household income that falls below R1000.00 formed 29,2% of the participants in the study who found this strategy helpful to them.
4.4.2.6 Condition of a client in the past three months and coping strategies
There was positive significant association between active problem solving coping
strategy finding out as much information as you can about the problem and condition of a client (P= .040). Participants who reported the client’s condition as worsened (47, 0%) was the group that found this coping strategy as the most helpful strategy.
Positive significant associations were observed between keeping the person you care for as active as possible and the condition of the client (P = .023). Participants who reported the client’s condition as improved (48%) was the group who found this strategy most helpful. The improved condition of a client enhanced the opportunities of training the individual with serious mental illness.
There were no other significant associations across socio-demographic characteristics and different burden factors. However, significant associations were found between the perceived burden and the coping strategies used by family members of the individuals with serious mental illness.
The association on variables will be determined on each subscale of the CAMI which includes problem-focused coping strategy, managing meanings and alleviating stress coping strategies.
The use of an active problem-focused coping strategy which is, finding as much information as you can about the problem, showed a significant association with the burden factors including feeling that your relative asks for more help than he/she needs, that you don’t have enough time for yourself because of the time you spend with your relative, stressed between caring for your relative and trying to meet other responsibilities for your family or work, and feeling that you could leave the care of your relative to someone else (P =.000 - .025 ) were obtained and found significant.
Use of managing meanings coping strategy, which is realizing that there is someone worse off than yourself, showed a positive association with many burden factors such as feeling that yourhealth has suffered because of your involvement with your relative, that your social life has suffered because you are caring for your relative, that you don’t have enough money to take care of your relative in addition to the rest of your expense, feeling uncomfortable about having friends over because of your relative and feeling that your relative is dependent on you. Observed significant values were (P = .000 - .018).
Drawing on strong personal or religious belief which falls on the management of the meanings about the situation and falls under emotional –focused , showed negative association with many of the burden factors including feeling like your relative seems to expect you to take care of him/her as you were the only one he/she could depend on, that you don’t have enough money to take care of your relative in addition to the rest of your expense and feeling uncomfortable about having friends over because of your relative.
The observed significant values of association were (P = .001 -.012).
Use of managing / alleviating stress coping strategy such as taking your mind off things in some way, by reading, watching TV or the like, showed positive association with some burden factors such as feeling you could leave the care of your relative to someone else and feeling stressed between caring for your relative and trying to meet other
responsibilities for your family or work. The values of (P = .000 -.020) were observed.
Letting steam off in some way (e.g. shouting, yelling and the like), showed a significant association with burden factors such as feeling that your social life has suffered because you are caring for your relative, that your relative seems to expect you to take care of him/her as you were the only one he/she could depend on, that you could leave the care of your relative to someone else and feeling that your relative asks for more help than he/she needs. The significant values of (P = .000 - .010) were obtained.
Table 4.6 Fisher’s Exact Test. Associations between Perceived Burden and Coping Strategies
Burden of Care Giving P=Value Coping Strategy 1. Do you feel that your relative asks for
more help than he/she needs?
.015 Managing Events/Problem Solving.
Finding out as much information as you can about the problem.
2. Do you feel that because 0f the time you spend with your relative that you don’t have enough time for yourself
.004
3. Do you feel stressed between caring for your relative and trying to meet other responsibilities for your family or work?
.025
4. Do you feel you could leave the care of your relative to someone else?
.000
5. Do you feel your health has suffered because of your involvement with your relative?
.007 Managing Meanings
Realizing that there is someone worse off than yourself.
6. Do you feel that your social life has suffered because you are caring for your relative?
.004
7. Do you feel that you don’t have enough money to take care of your relative in addition to the rest of your expense?
.018
8. Do you feel uncomfortable about having friends over because of your relative?
.010
9. Do you feel that your relative is dependent on you?
.000
10. Do you feel like your relative seems to expect you to take care of him/her as you were the only one he/she could depend on?
.008 .012
Drawing on strong Personal or Religious belief
11. Do you feel that you don’t have enough money to take care of your relative in addition to the rest of your expense?
.001
12. Do you feel uncomfortable about having friends over because of your relative?
.003
13. Do you feel you could leave the care of your relative to someone else?
.000
Managing/Alleviating stress Taking your mind off things in some way ,by reading ,watching 14. Do you feel stressed between caring
for your relative and trying to meet other
.020
TV or the like 15. Do you feel that your social life has
suffered because you are caring for your relative?
.000 Letting steam off in some way (e.g.shouting,yelling and the like 16. Do you feel like your relative seems
to expect you to take care of him/her as you were the only one he/she could depend on?
.002
17. Do you feel you could leave the care of your relative to someone else?
.003 18. Do you feel that your relative asks for
more help than he/she needs?
.010