Paper Title
Burden And Gratification Of Cargiving In Family Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia

Abstract
Caring for family members with dementia creates many challenges for family caregivers and has been correlated with burden but can also be a source of gratification and pleasure. However, few studies investigated these outcomes simultaneously. This study was aimed to determine burden and gratification of caregiving in family caregivers of individuals with dementia. In this cross-sectional study a convenience sample of 100 individual family caregivers was recruited from psychiatric hospitals in Shiraz. The participants ranges from 21 to 70 years of age, of which, most caregivers were adult-children caregivers (91%). Data were collected by using sense of gratification and a burden scale. Data analysis was performed using multiple regression and correlation. The caregivers of older patients with dementia had mild to moderate levels of burden (M=36.3, SD=1.32). There was a positive correlation between number of caregiver’s children(r = 0•23, p < 0•01) and caregiver’s sense of gratification(r = 0•28, p = 0•005). However there was a negative correlation between type of relationship and level of burden(r = - 0•261, p = 0•009). Based on regression model, these variables explained 17.4% of the variance in the level of caregiver’s burden. The findings showed that caring for family members with dementia is burdensome but can also be a source of pleasure and gratification.