Care Burden and Compassion in Caregivers of Stroke Survivors

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the factors related to care burden and compassion levels of caregivers of family members who had a stroke and the relationship between the two variables. Method: The study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational one. The sample included 280 stroke survivors and family caregivers. The data were collected using a Family Caregiver Information Form, the Stroke Survivors Information Form, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the Compassion Scale (CS), and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Results: In the study, it was determined that the compassion scores (3.71 +/- 0.85), and caregiving burden scores (34.30 +/- 17.42) of the family caregivers of stroke survivors were moderate. There was a negative, strong and significant relationship between caregiving burden and compassion (p<.001). It was determined that as the caregiving burden of the family caregiver's increased, their levels of compassion decreased. Conclusion: Determining the care burden and compassion levels of family caregivers of stroke survivors might contribute to improvement of the health of both family caregivers and stroke survivors.