Carga y rasgos de personalidad en cuidadores principales de personas mayores

Abstract

Being the main caregiver of an elderly person with or without dependency generates a possible increase in the level of tension perceived by the person in charge. Assuming the role of primary caregiver could cause burden or overload, presenting possible alterations, negative consequences and impairments both physically and emotionally, prompting a decrease in quality of life. In Ecuador, the elderly represents an important public health problem associated with an increase in morbidity, mortality and health care costs, so that the demand for care for this vulnerable group probably generates constant tension or pressure on their health. Therefore, the relevance of investigating the relationship of the level of burden in the main caregivers, on the personality is to know the impact and the possible negative consequences on the person, given the high exposure of the demand for care. The main objective of this research was to determine the relationship between overload and personality traits of 274 main caregivers of adults in Ecuador. The research had a non-experimental, transactional, and non-probabilistic method because the subjects were not randomly selected, but chain or network ("snowball") type. The instruments used were: the Sociodemographic and Labor Ad-hoc questionnaire, the Zarit burden interview for caregivers, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Ab-breviated (EPQR-A). Among the most relevant results we have a significant correlation r (264) = .331 p < .0001 of burden and neuroticism and a significant correlation r (261) = .221 p < .0001 of burden and psychoticism.