1. Do spirituality, resilience and hope mediate outcomes among family caregivers after traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury? A structural equation modelling approach.
- Author
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Simpson, Grahame Kenneth, Anderson, Malcolm Ikin, Jones, Kate Fiona, Genders, Michelle, Gopinath, Bamini, and Dein, Simon
- Subjects
AFFECT (Psychology) ,PSYCHOLOGY of caregivers ,FAMILIES ,FAMILY medicine ,HOPE ,MATHEMATICAL models ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,PSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,PSYCHOLOGY ,REHABILITATION centers ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience ,SPINAL cord injuries ,SPIRITUALITY ,POSITIVE psychology ,STRUCTURAL equation modeling ,CROSS-sectional method ,REHABILITATION for brain injury patients - Abstract
BACKGROUND: A deficits approach to understanding psychological adjustment in family caregivers of individuals with a neurological disability is extensive, but further research in the field of positive psychology (spirituality, resilience, hope) may provide a potential avenue for broadening knowledge of the family caregiver experience after traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE: To test a proposed model of spirituality among family caregivers of individuals with TBI or SCI, using structural equation modelling (SEM). METHODS: A cross-sectional design was employed to survey ninety-nine family participants (TBI = 76, SCI = 23) from six rehabilitation units from NSW and Queensland. Assessments comprised Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being Scale-Expanded, Connor –Davidson Resilience Scale, Herth Hope Index, and three measures of psychological adjustment including Caregiver Burden Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. RESULTS: SEM showed the proposed model was a good fit. The main findings indicated spirituality had a direct negative link with burden. Spirituality had a direct positive association with hope which, in succession, had a positive link with resilience. Spirituality influenced positive affect indirectly, being mediated by resilience. Positive affect, in turn, had a negative association with depression in caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to better targeting strength-based family interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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