Exploring Stress, Sleep Disturbances, and Fatigue Among Primary Family Caregivers in the ICU

• Published in: Hu li za zhi Vol. 65; no. 6; pp. 55 - 66
• Main Authors: Chang, Pei-Yu, Wang, Hsiang-Ping, Yu, Jung-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China (Republic : 1949- ) Taiwan Nurses Association 01.12.2018
• Subjects: Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Fatigue; Fatigue - epidemiology; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Stress; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; sleep disturbances; stress; fatigue; intensive care unit; primary family caregiver
• ISSN: 0047-262X
• DOI: 10.6224/JN.201812_65(6).08

Primary family caregivers (PFCs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) experienced stress and stress-related symptoms such as sleep disturbances and fatigue. These symptoms may cause physical and mental health problems and affect the quality of care that they provide to their care recipients. This study explored the levels of severity of stress, sleep disturbances, and fatigue experienced by PFCs in the ICU in order to understand the associations and to explore the predictors and influencing factors in the period following the first ICU admission of their care recipients. This descriptive correlational study was based on Lazarus and Folkman's Stress-Coping theory. Four questionnaires including the Impact of Events Scale - Revised, General Sleep Disturbance Scale, Lee's Fatigue Scale, and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire were used to measure the psychological stress symptoms and social support received by 72 PFCs. Descriptive statistics and multiple hierarchical regression analysis were utilized for data an