Feeling of Burden, Psychological Distress, and Anxiety among Primary Caregivers of Children with Home Enteral Nutrition

Objective To examine the relationship between several psychological factors and the feeling of burden experienced by caregivers of children with home enteral nutrition. Methods Fifty-six mothers of pediatric patients with chronic diseases requiring long-term home enteral nutrition were recruited. They were asked to respond to specific questionnaires about their anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), psychological distress (SCL-90-R) and feeling of burden (Zarit-scale). Results Caregivers' feeling of burden was found to be statistically associated to psychological distress (r = .516, p < .001) and trait anxiety (r = .376, p = .005). No significant differences were found between the type of diagnosis and caregiver burden. Regression analysis indicated psychological distress has a partial mediational effect in the relationship between trait anxiety and caregivers' burden. Conclusions Psychological distress and anxiety show a positive correlation with caregivers' feeling of burden, and may disrupt family well-being. Early identification of high-risk situations is essential in order to plan specific psychosocial aid efficiently.