Social Support Network and Gender Difference in Post-hospitalized Stroke Patients / 기본간호학회지

Social support was found to have buffering effects on the stress response of stroke patients. Especially, the aspects of social support found to be most influential were support from a close, personal source, and overall satisfaction with support. The purpose of this study was to identify the current social network and its characteristics according to gender difference in post-hospitalized stroke patients in Korea. The sample consisted of a convenience sample of 254 patients was recruited 129 men and 125 women who were receiving follow-up care at outpatients clinics. Four aspects of social support-source, quantity, quality & type-were measured using the modified Social Support Inventory for Stroke Survivors(SSISS) which was developed by McColl & Friedland(1989). Regarding sources of social support, 61.4% reported for 'spouse' as primary caregiver and 31.9%, 'children'. But the distribution of sources of personal support were related to gender; 82.2% of male patients had support from their spouses, while only 40% of female patients reported from 'spouse' but 51.4% from 'children'. Among the children, daughters and sons were more significant support persons than daughters-in-law. The percentages for sources of these significant other support persons were 55.5% for 'children', 8.7% for 'spouse', and 8.3% for 'brothers'. The physician at the outpatient department was the main source of professional support. For the quantity and quality of social support, the primary caregiver's support was more significant than support by significant other persons. Male patients reported that primary the caregiver' support was greater than that of significant other persons, while female patients perceived significant other persons as giving greater support. Regarding the type of perceived social support, the stroke patients were highly satisfied with the primary caregiver's support in aspects of instrumental, emotional, and informational support. They also reported high satisfaction with support from significant others' support in the aspect of emotional support, while emotional and informational support from professionals was reported as satisfactory. In conclusion, gender difference in the social support network was found in that male patients perceived more support from their spouses, while female patients perceived more support from their children as compared to their spouses.

Relations between Perceived Burden and Social Support of Stroke Patient's Family Caregiver / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived burden of the stroke patient's caregiver and related factors to analyze relationships between perceived burden and social supports. A convenient sample of 225 caregivers who take care for a stroke patient at home participated in this study. Caregiver's perceived burden was measured by the objective and subjective burden scale developed by Montgomery (1985). Related factors of burden were studied in terms of the patient's instrumental activties of daily living, cognitive function, caregiver's demographic variables and caregiver's illness intrusiveness. The results were as follows: (1) The mean of objective burden score was 4.5, and subjective burden score was 3.1. These scores show that caregivers perceive moderate level of burden. (2) Caregivers' objective burden was significantly related to caregivers's illness intrusiveness (r=.62), patient's IADL (r=-.33), and patient's cognitive function (r=-.15). The subjective burden was related to the caregiver's illness intrusiveness (r=.29), the patient's IADL (r=.24), and the caregiver's age(r=.23). (3) The percentage of stroke caregivers who perceived physical support was 49.1%. The percentage of those who perceived emotional support was 61.0%, and those who perceived financial support totaled 37.6%. (4) Caregivers who received any type of social supports perceived lower subjective burden, and caregivers who received physical or psychological support perceived lower objective burden. These results emphasized the necessity of a rehabilitation programs for stroke patients and support program for family caregivers.

Relations between Perceived Burden and Social Support of Stroke Patient's Family Caregiver / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived burden of the stroke patient's caregiver and related factors to analyze relationships between perceived burden and social supports. A convenient sample of 225 caregivers who take care for a stroke patient at home participated in this study. Caregiver's perceived burden was measured by the objective and subjective burden scale developed by Montgomery (1985). Related factors of burden were studied in terms of the patient's instrumental activties of daily living, cognitive function, caregiver's demographic variables and caregiver's illness intrusiveness. The results were as follows: (1) The mean of objective burden score was 4.5, and subjective burden score was 3.1. These scores show that caregivers perceive moderate level of burden. (2) Caregivers' objective burden was significantly related to caregivers's illness intrusiveness (r=.62), patient's IADL (r=-.33), and patient's cognitive function (r=-.15). The subjective burden was related to the caregiver's illness intrusiveness (r=.29), the patient's IADL (r=.24), and the caregiver's age(r=.23). (3) The percentage of stroke caregivers who perceived physical support was 49.1%. The percentage of those who perceived emotional support was 61.0%, and those who perceived financial support totaled 37.6%. (4) Caregivers who received any type of social supports perceived lower subjective burden, and caregivers who received physical or psychological support perceived lower objective burden. These results emphasized the necessity of a rehabilitation programs for stroke patients and support program for family caregivers.

Related Factors of the Quality of Life in Stroke Patients / 재활간호학회지

The related factors of the quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients was identified empirically. The subjects were 254 stroke patients who were discharged and taken follow-up care at the outpatient department. In this model, the physical, psychological, and social status were assumed to affect the QOL. And the social support was assumed to moderate these effects. NIH stroke state, ADL, and IADL were used to measure the physical status. Using CES-D, the psychological status was measured. The social status was defined as the job change after stroke attack. The satisfaction with the care by primary caregivers, significant others, and health professionals was measured as the social support. To identify the effect of the physical, psychological, and social status on the QOL, multiple regression analysis was carried out. The psychological and social status were found to be the significant predictors of the QOL(R2=0.27, p=0.00). Next, to identify the moderating effect of the social support, the subjects were divided into two groups, that is, the low social support group and the high social support group. It is found that the predicting variance is different between these two groups. In the low social support group, the psychological, social, and physical status predicted as much as 42% of the QOL. On the contrary, the psychological status predicted only 8% of the QOL in the high social support group. So it is concluded that the social support moderates the effects of the physical, psychological, and social status on QOL. Finally, to identify the social support which moderates those effects, the social support was divided into three classes. Each social support class was divided into the low and high social support group again. In the every class of social support, the difference between two groups was also identified. So the model of the QOL is recommended for the framework of the care for the stroke patients. Also these results support the claim that the long-term facilities for stroke patients are necessary.