Care burden, depression, quality of life, and institutionalization factors among family caregivers of long-term care recipients: A secondary data analysis
- Author:
Eun-Jeong HAN
1
;
Yeongwoo PARK
;
Heejung KIM
;
Myonghwa PARK
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From: Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing 2025;27(1):57-73
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: This study aims to identify caregiving burden, depression, quality of life, and institutionalization among family caregivers of home-based long-term-care insurance beneficiaries and to analyze various factors influencing these outcomes. Methods: A secondary data analysis was employed to investigate the impact of various factors on caregivers’ experiences. The study used data from the 2016 Long-Term Care Service Utilization and Care Needs Survey, targeting 1,767 family caregivers of long-term-care beneficiaries. The original survey data included the Zarit Burden Interview for caregiver burden, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for depression, and the new five-level version of EQ-5D for quality of life. Institutionalization status was identified using the long-term care database until the end of November 2023. Results: A high caregiving burden was reported by 44% of caregivers and 47.6% of family caregivers were found to be depressed. The average quality of life score was 0.82±0.14, with differences observed based on the participants’ characteristics. Among the study participants, 29.4% of the care recipients were institutionalized. Compared to caregiving burden, depression, and quality of life, the health status of the beneficiaries and their long-term-care service utilization patterns were significant factors influencing institutionalization. Conclusion: To reduce family caregivers’ burden and to decrease institutionalization rates, it is crucial to enhance home-care services and offer a variety of community-based resources. Effective welfare policies should be established to support these efforts.
