Caring for a loved one with Parkinson's disease: the role of coping styles and relationship quality

Objective: Informal carers play an essential role in the care of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). This role, however, is often fraught with difficulties, including emotional, physical, and financial. Coping styles and relationship quality have been hypothesized to influence the impact of stressors. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between carers' coping style, relationship quality, and carer burden. Design: Cross-sectional. Participants: Thirty-nine PD patient carer dyads were included in the study. Measurements: Participants completed self-rated questionnaires including the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Zarit Burden Interview, and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory. Results: Correlational analyses found significant and positive correlation between carer burden and all three coping styles (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and dysfunctional). There was also a moderate association between carers' perceived relationship quality and satisfaction and carer burden. Regression analyses found that carer's gender, severity of PD, relationship quality, emotion-focused, and dysfunctional coping styles did not predict carer burden. Conversely, problem-focused coping style predicted carer burden. Conclusion: The results highlight that there is no perfect way to react and care for a loved one and serves as important information for practitioners who design and implement interventions.