Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between caregiving burden and hospital anxiety and depression in relatives of elderly patients transferred from intensive care unit to the ward. METHODS: This is a descriptive and correlational study. Correlation between caregiving burden and hospital anxiety and depression was assessed by using the "Caregiving Burden Scale (CBS)" and the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)". RESULTS: The mean age of the participants (n = 107) was 47.67 ± 13.02 years. The mean CBS score of the participants was 20.19 ± 10.71. The participants' mean hospital anxiety score was 10.63 ± 4.33, and the mean depression score was 10.46 ± 3.25. The CBS scores of the participants who were women, had children, had difficulty in caregiving, and had patients in internal medicine clinics were found to be statistically significant. The anxiety scores of the participants whose patients were in internal medicine clinics and were semi-dependent were significantly higher. Also, the depression scores of the participants who had difficulty in caregiving were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05). Positive and a very weak correlation was found between the CBS and anxiety sub-dimensions of HADS, and a similarly weak correlation was found between the CBS and depression sub-dimensions of HADS (r = 0.189, p = 0.006; r = 0.260, p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: A positive correlation was found between the caregiving burden in relatives of patients and levels of hospital anxiety and depression.