Social problem-solving abilities, relationship satisfaction and depression among family caregivers of stroke survivors.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the prospective relation of caregiver problem-solving abilities and relationship satisfaction to caregiver depression 1 month following care recipient discharge from an inpatient stroke rehabilitation facility. RESEARCH DESIGN: Correlational, prospective design. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Participants included 39 women (average age = 51.47, SD = 20.59) and four men (average age = 42.50, SD = 5.57) assuming caregiver roles for persons discharged from stroke rehabilitation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The Beck Depression Inventory was the outcome measure at discharge and 1 month later. RESULTS: Caregivers experienced a significant decrease in depression scores between the discharge and 1-month assessments. Lower relationship satisfaction and dysfunctional problem-solving abilities were independently and significantly predictive of depression scores at discharge. Dysfunctional problem-solving abilities were indirectly predictive of depression 1 month later. CONCLUSIONS: Dysfunctional problem-solving abilities and low relationship satisfaction are associated with caregiver depression, but dysfunctional problem-solving abilities maintain an indirect association with depression over 1 month. Implications of these findings for developing problem-solving training programmes for caregivers post-discharge are discussed.

Social problem solving abilities and psychosocial impairment among individuals recuperating from surgical repair for severe pressure sores.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The relationship of social problem solving abilities, health locus of control beliefs, and psychosocial impairment were examined among individuals with spinal cord injuries who were hospitalized following surgical repair of severe pressure sores. METHODS: Individuals were approached after surgical repair and completed measures of problem solving, health locus of control beliefs, and psychosocial impairment after admission to the rehabilitation hospital. RESULTS: The sample reported greater psychosocial impairment than observed in comparative data, but they did not differ from another sample in terms of health locus of control beliefs. Correlational analyses revealed that a negative orientation toward problem solving was significantly predictive of psychosocial impairment, consistent with prior research. However, a second study found persons assigned to a brief problem solving intervention did not differ on any measure from participants in a control group. DISCUSSION: Implications of these results are discussed from theoretical and clinical perspectives. Although social problem solving abilities were predictive of psychosocial impairment in a predicted direction, the lack of effects for the intervention suggests greater precision is needed to understand individual needs and to develop individualized intervention protocols.