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Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China
Liu S, Li C, Shi Z, Wang X, Zhou Y, Liu S, Liu J, Yu T et al.. Journal of clinical nursing, 2016-11-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Aims and objectives To evaluate caregiver burden and factors that influence this burden among caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's disease in China. Background Long-term care can reduce the quality of life for caregivers and result in both mental and physical exhaustion. However, little is known about caregiver burden and associated factors in China. Design The study had a quantitative cross-sectional design. Methods A total of 309 caregivers and their patients were included in the study. The patients' cognitive, psychological and functional status and their caregivers' burden, sleep quality and mental state were evaluated. Descriptive analyses, single-factor regression and stepwise factor regression were used to determine the effects of various factors on caregiver burden. Results Older females and spouses still play an important role in providing family care for those with dementia. Most of the caregivers were the sole full-time caregiver and had little time for themselves. Sleepiness was a common physical problem for caregivers, and some of them had moderate to severe depression and anxiety. A lower functional status of the patient was associated with higher caregiver burden. Poorer physical status compared with before caregiving began, lower life satisfaction, and higher degrees of depression and anxiety were associated with higher caregiver burden. Conclusion Depression, anxiety and sleep problems are the main challenges that are faced by family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers' functional status, lower life satisfaction, depression and anxiety influenced caregiver burden. Caregiver burden was related to the severity of the patient's dementia and the personal factors of the caregivers. Relevance to clinical practice To provide information about caregivers' current status while caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and to understand caregiver burden and its related factors. Professionals who work with Alzheimer's disease should pay more attention to caregiver burden, especially those with mental and physical problems.
Key findings
- Background Long-term care can reduce the quality of life for caregivers and result in both mental and physical exhaustion.
- Results Older females and spouses still play an important role in providing family care for those with dementia.
- A lower functional status of the patient was associated with higher caregiver burden.
- Poorer physical status compared with before caregiving began, lower life satisfaction, and higher degrees of depression and anxiety were associated with higher caregiver burden.
Why it matters
Among 309 caregivers of Alzheimer's patients in China, lower patient functional status and caregivers' own poorer physical status, lower life satisfaction, and higher depression and anxiety were linked to greater caregiver burden. This cross-sectional study shows associations only, so it cannot prove what causes the burden.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants309
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of clinical nursing) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Clinical Nursing: journal h-index 174 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 309 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 250 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.7 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 77 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Yong Ji: h-index 28 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine: institution h-index 214 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27681477) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Liu, S., Li, C., Shi, Z., Wang, X., Zhou, Y., Liu, J., et al. (2017). Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China. Journal of clinical nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13601
Vancouver
Liu S, Li C, Shi Z, Wang X, Zhou Y, Liu J, et al. Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China. Journal of clinical nursing. 2017. doi:10.1111/jocn.13601. PMID: 27681477.
BibTeX
@article{liu2017-27681477,
author = {Liu, S. and Li, C. and Shi, Z. and Wang, X. and Zhou, Y. and Liu, J. and Yu, T. and others},
title = {{Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China}},
journal = {Journal of clinical nursing},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1111/jocn.13601},
pmid = {27681477},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13601}
}
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