An investigation of mediator and moderator of physical and mental health outcomes for employed children caregivers of people with dementia

• Main Authors: Yu Nu Wang, 王玉女
• Other Authors: Y. I. Shyu
• Format: Others
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/48362552532771133957

博士 === 長庚大學 === 臨床醫學研究所 === 101 === The purposes of this study were to establish “work and family care reconciliation process” model for employed children caregivers of patients with dementia, to explore the mediating effect of “work demands” on the relationship between “family caregiving demands for the elderly” and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”, and to explore the moderating effect of “family caregiving resources” to “family caregiving demands for the elderly”, “work demands”, and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”. Based on purposive sampling where objects of study were employed children caregivers of patients with dementia in northern Taiwan and were given structural questionnaires to proceed with cross-sectional study. A total of 219 valid questionnaires were collected to conduct statistical analysis with descriptive and structural equation modeling. The results showed that the established “work and family care reconciliation process” model for employed children caregivers of patients with dementia has indicated good model fit. The overall model fit indicators revealed that the hypothesized model fits the data substantially. The “family caregiving demands for the elderly” showed a significant influence on “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes” through “work demands”. This result suggested that “work demands” has a mediating effect on the relationship between “family caregiving demands for the elderly” and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”. Caregivers with longer “work hours”, more “work inflexibility”, and more “conflict between work and family cargiving” were more likely to suffer from more “depressive symptoms”, higher “role strain”, and worse “physical and mental health”. The “family caregiving resources” showed a significant influence between “work demands” and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”. This result suggested that “family caregiving resources” has a moderating effect toward “work demand” and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”. Caregivers with medium and high levels of “preparedness”, “predictability”, “mutuality” and “family assistance” have indicated less “depressive symptoms”, lower “role strains”, and better “physical and mental health”, in spite of longer “working hour”, more “work inflexibility”, and more “conflict between work and family caregiving”. Our results help to clarify the complex relationships among “family caregiving demands for the elderly”, “work demands”, “family caregiving resources”, and “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes”, for employed children caregivers of patients with dementia. In addition, our results provide a knowledge-base for nurses to consider the factors affecting “caregivers’ physical and mental health outcomes” in many aspects, so as to improve or reinforce the family care services of patients with dementia. Furthermore, our results serve as a guide, both at the national and the international level, for welfare states and labor markets as well as for caregiver and care user organizations to plan their measures in responding to the needs of employed family caregivers. Through the results of this study, we hope to provide insights toward the demands of employed children caregivers of patients with dementia. We encourage the governments to implement “family care leaves” and “flexible working hours” policies for these families, and to integrate both health care and social service resources, so as to provide better “physical and mental health outcomes” for employed children caregivers of patients with dementia.