Hip fracture: preliminary results supporting significative correlations between the psychological wellbeing of patients and their relative caregivers| JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS

Abstract

Background and aim. Hip fracture is one of the major causes of loss of self-sufficiency in older patients. The
associated caregiving rehabilitation task often falls to the lot of a member of the patient’s family. Our study
aims at assessing the relationship between the psychological well-being of patients with hip fracture and their
caregivers.
Methods. The study was carried-out on 53 elderly patients with hip fracture and their primary caregivers. The
Mini Mental State Examination (patient), Activities of Daily Living (patient), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
(patient), Geriatric Depression Scale (patient), Psychological General Well-Being Index (patient/caregiver) and
the Caregiver Burden Inventory (caregiver) were administered to each participant.
Results. The results revealed significant correlations between stress levels and the psychological well-being
of hip-fracture patients and relative caregivers. In particular, the Caregiver Burden Inventory’s total score was
negatively related to the patient’s Psychological General Well-Being Index score (p < 0.05) and with Anxiety
(p < 0.05), Depressed Mood (p < 0.01), Positive Well-being (p < 0.05) and General Health (p < 0.05) subscale
scores, as well as with the patient’s Activities of Daily Living (p < 0.05) score. Patients’ Psychological General
Well-Being Index scores were related to the caregivers’ General Health subscale (p < 0.01), and negatively
related to Caregiver Burden Inventory Time Dependence (p < 0.05) and Social Burden (p < 0.05) subscales, as
well as with the Geriatric Depression Scale score (p < 0.05).
Conclusions. A mutual relationship seems to exist between a patient’s psychological well-being and his/her
caregiver’s burden. These findings highlight the importance of a bio-psychosocial approach to both patients
and caregivers.