Burnout and Characteristics of Mental Health of Caregivers of Elderly Dementia Patients

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to clarify burnout and the characteristics of mental health of caregivers of elderly dementia patients, which have been little studied. METHODS The subjects of this study were 107 caregivers who were engaged in the care of dementia patients at 12 facilities in northern Kyushu. We examined age, sex, status of nursing-care related qualifications, years of working experience, physical health (Present state of health and Presence of perceived ill health), status at work (Problems at work and Job stress) and satisfaction with life using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and WHO Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SUBI). The period of survey was five months, between June 1 and October 31, 2006. RESULTS The most severe level of burnout was found in 27.1% of the subject. When subjects were classified into the burnout and nonburnout groups, the burnout group represented 53.3% of the subjects. In a comparison of the scores of the SUBI subscales between the burnout and nonburnout group, significant differences were observed in almost all subscales without "Deficiency in Social Contacts" and "Social Support". CONCLUSION This study clarified that self-care of physical and mental health, and family support were very important in maintaining mental health and preventing burnout in caregivers of dementia patients.