Conceptualizing care partners' burden, stress, and support for reintegrating veterans: A mixed methods study
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Rattray, N., Flanagan, M., Mann, A., Danson, L., Do, A.-N., Natividad, D., & Spontak, K. (2023). Conceptualizing care partners' burden, stress, and support for reintegrating veterans: A mixed methods study. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1295627. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1295627
Abstract Created by REACH:
Care partners are people who provide informal, instrumental, or emotional support to a Veteran with injuries as they transition out of the military. This mixed-methods study explored the experiences of caregiving burden (i.e., the stress and strain related to their role) of care partners of Veterans with invisible injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injury). 36 care partners selfreported their caregiving burden (i.e., the extent to which caregiving causes stress), perceived stress, flourishing (e.g., happiness, meaning and purpose), relationship quality with their Veteran, and resources for coping with caregiving (e.g., religious group, online resources). Interviews were also conducted to supplement the survey responses. Overall, greater caregiving burden among care partners was related to more stress, less flourishing, and lower relationship quality with their Veteran. The findings highlight trends in resource engagement.
Focus:
Veterans
Mental health
Other
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Subject Affiliation:
Spouse of service member or veteran
Civilian
Other
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Methodology:
Mixed Methods
Authors:
Rattray, Nicholas, Flanagan, Mindy, Mann, Allison, Danson, Leah, Do, Ai-Nghia, Natividad, Diana, Spontak, Katrina
Abstract:
Background: People who support Veterans as they transition from their military service into civilian life may be at an increased risk for psychological distress. Existing studies focus primarily on paid family caregivers, but few studies include spouses and informal non-family “care partners.” We sought to identify key challenges faced by care partners of Veterans with invisible injuries. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 individuals involved in supporting a recently separated US military Veteran enrolled in a two-year longitudinal study. CPs completed validated measures on perceived stress, caregiving burden, quality of their relationship, life satisfaction, and flourishing. Independent t-tests were used to compare cases in these groups on caregiving burden, quality of their relationship, life satisfaction, and flourishing. Care partners were categorized as reporting high and low levels of stress. Exemplar cases were used to demonstrate divergences in the experiences of CPs with different levels of stress over time. Results: Care partners reported shifts in self-perception that occurred from supporting a Veteran, emphasizing how they helped Veterans navigate health systems and the processes of disclosing health and personal information in civilian contexts. Exemplar cases with high and low burden demonstrated divergent experiences in self-perception, managing multi-faceted strain, and coping with stress over time. Case studies of specific care partners illustrate how multi-faceted strain shifted over time and is affected by additional burden from childcare, financial responsibilities, or lack of education on mental health issues. Conclusions. Findings suggest unique needs of individuals who support military Veterans with invisible injuries, highlighting variations and diachronic elements of caregiving. This sample is younger than typical caregiver sample with implications for how best to support unpaid care partners caring for Veterans in the early to mid-period of their use of VA and civilian health services.
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Keywords:
caregiver, burden, stress, support
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
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