Schneider, Francine

The problem of overburdening is increasing among informal caregivers. Some attention has been paid to relationship factors, positive effects of caregiving, and coping strategies in relation to caregivers’ perceived burdens, as these factors might make valuable contributions. The aim of this study was to thoroughly explore the views, experiences, and interpretations of informal caregivers with regard to these factors, who lived in the southernmost part of the Netherlands. In this qualitative case study design, 26 informal caregivers were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire.

This study explored the population characteristics and needs of informal caregivers reporting a low or high burden. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Netherlands to explore the associations between the characteristics and needs of informal caregivers and the burden they perceive and to assess the variance in perceived burdens that is explained by these variables. Three thousand sixty-seven adult informal caregivers and 1936 senior informal caregivers participated, almost 15% of whom perceived a high burden.