The Physical and Emotional Health of Caregivers of Children With Disabilities: A Comparison With National Samples of Canadian Caregivers. Conférence "Familles canadiennes sous tension ?", Montréal, may 20 2005

(1)

The Health of Caregivers of

Children with Disabilities

Dafna E. Kohen, Ph.D.

(2)

Co-authors

• JAMIE C. BREHAUT, PHD, • PARMINDER RAINA, PHD, • STEPHEN D. WALTER, PHD, • DIANNE J. RUSSELL, MSC, • MARILYN SWINTON, BSC, • MAUREEN O’DONNELL, MD FRCP(C), • PETER ROSENBAUM, MD

• This project was supported by the Canadian

Institutes of Health Research, grant number MOP 37905.

(3)

Context

• Challenges of caring for children with disabilities

(4)

Literature Review

• Associations with caregiver psychological health

(5)

Research Question

How does the health of caregivers of children

with disabilities compare to the health of a

(6)

1) Caring About Caregivers Study

• Administered through CanChild, McMaster University

• Representative sample of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in Ontario

• Age 7-14 years

(7)

2) National Surveys

• NLSCY • Cycle 3 (1998-1999) • Ontario cohort • Children aged 7-15 years • N=2,414 • NPHS • Cycle 2 (1996-1997) • Ontario cohort

• Adult with child aged 7-15 years living at home

(8)

Outcomes

• Demographic information

• Psychological health (distress, emotional, cognitive problems)

• Social support

• Family functioning

• Physical health (presence and number of chronic conditions)

(9)

Results: Demographics

40 / 40 40 Age (yrs.) 28 37 Family care 73 67 Full time 81 66 Paid work 16 51 25 41 < $30,000 > $60,000 11 16 13 17 < High school University 93 / 54 94 Female % NLSCY/NPHS % CG

(10)

Caregivers of children with disabilities

report poorer psychological health

4.7 25.3 38.8 14.5 8.6 4.5 2.2 13.7 14.3 14.3 9.0 4.2 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Distress+ Emotional+ Cognition+ Support* Family Function *

Contacts+

%

CG study

(11)

Caregivers of children with disabilities

report poorer physical health

35.1 15.8 17.3 35.5 7.1 24.2 8.4 47.9 28.8 19.9 6.3 7.3 12.2 4.1 11.2 1.7 38.4 11 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Alle rgies * Asth ma* Arth ritis* Bac k pr oble ms* Blo od pr essur e* Migr aines * Ulc ers* Visi on+ Pain+ % CG study *NLSCY/+NPHS

(12)

Caregivers of children with disabilities

report more overall chronic conditions

24.1 22 _20.9 32.7 55.2 23.5 11.3 _10.1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 1 2 3 or more % CG study NLSCY

(13)

Summary

Caregivers of children with disabilities:

• Have lower incomes despite absence in educational differences

• Differences may be due to less time available to work for pay

• Have poorer psychological health

(14)

Limitations

• Fewer female respondents in NPHS sample

• Caregiver health may be confounded with SES

• Direction of effects unclear and causality can not be ascertained

(15)

Implications

• For services: family centered, encourage parental well-being as well as child health

• For future research: different types of services associated with better health outcomes