Care stressors and perceived stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults with disabilities: The mediation effect of resilience.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Guided by the Stress Process Model, this study examined the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between care stressors and perceived caregiving stress. METHODS: Data were based on 234 older adults with disabilities and their caregivers from 6 urban districts and 6 rural counties from Jinan, China. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, ordinary least squares regression, and mediation analysis were performed. RESULTS: Perceived stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults with disabilities was affected by the physical and mental health of both themselves and the care recipients, as well as care intensity and financial difficulties. Resilience played a partial mediating role in the associations among three stressors (i.e. older adults' disability levels, number of chronic diseases, and caregivers' self-reported mental) and perceived caregiving stress. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced resilience aids caregivers' adaptation to their roles, suggesting the need for societal, spiritual, emotional, and behavioral resilience training.