Relationship between caregiver time and mental health&well-being of mothers caring for children with chronic disability

照顾者时间与心理健康之间的关系

• 批准号: nhmrc : 399150
• 负责人: A/Pr Michael Bittman
• 金额: $ 23.68万
• 依托单位: The University of Adelaide
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: NHMRC Project Grants
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2006-01-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://researchdata.edu.au/relationship-caregiver-time-chronic-disability/76232
• 关键词: Relationship; between; caregiver; time; mental

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has calculated that the dollar value of unpaid caring labour is approximately double the total (monetary) welfare service expenditure in Australia. Furthermore, most authorities predict that the need for informal care will grow as the population ages and as government policies continue to emphasize de-institutionalisation and care in the community. A significant group of these informal caregivers are mothers caring for children with chronic disabilities. These mothers have long been known to have higher rates of psychosocial problems than other mothers. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which these problems arise. This is a significant omission, as the potential benefit of home-based care for children with chronic disabilities will only be realised if caregivers remain healthy. It seems unlikely that caregivers will be able to provide effective care for children if their own health has been compromised by the demands of caring for the children's disabilities. The present study will provide new information about the relationship between the caregiving time mothers must spend caring for children with chronic disability, and maternal psychological adjustment and health-related quality of life. A better understanding of the mechanisms which give rise to maternal psychosocial problems in this population is important for two reasons. First, information in this area is an essential prerequisite for the development of effective support to reduce the problems experienced by primary caregivers and ensure they can play an effective ongoing role in the care of children with chronic disability. Second, at a theoretical level there is a great need to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which environmental stressors give rise to mental health problems, particularly depression, in the general population.

澳大利亚卫生和福利研究所计算出，无偿护理劳动力的美元价值大约是澳大利亚总(货币)福利服务支出的两倍。此外，大多数当局预测，随着人口老龄化和政府政策继续强调社区的非制度化和护理，对非正式护理的需求将会增加。这些非正式照顾者中有相当一部分是照顾慢性残疾儿童的母亲。众所周知，这些母亲比其他母亲有更高的心理社会问题发生率。然而，人们对这些问题产生的机制知之甚少。这是一个重大的遗漏，因为只有在照顾者保持健康的情况下，才能实现以家庭为基础的慢性残疾儿童护理的潜在好处。如果照顾者自己的健康因照顾儿童残疾的要求而受到损害，照顾者似乎不太可能为儿童提供有效的照顾。这项研究将提供关于母亲必须花在照顾慢性残疾儿童的照顾时间与母亲心理调整和与健康相关的生活质量之间的关系的新信息。更好地了解在这一人群中引起母亲心理社会问题的机制很重要，原因有两个。首先，这方面的信息是发展有效支助的必要先决条件，以减少主要照顾者所经历的问题，并确保他们能够在照料慢性残疾儿童方面发挥持续有效的作用。其次，在理论层面上，非常需要更好地了解环境应激源在一般人群中引起精神健康问题，特别是抑郁症的机制。