Psychometric evaluation of a Spanish language version of the Screen for Caregiver Burden (SCB) in caregivers of patients with mixed, vascular and Alzheimer's dementia.

Aims and Objectives: To validate a Spanish language version of the Screen for Caregiver Burden, the full-length or long (25-item) and short (seven-item) versions in Mexican caregivers of patients with mixed, vascular and Alzheimer's dementia.
Background: Patients with dementia display impaired executive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as behavioural changes and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can make patients become more dependent. The experience of caregiving for patients under these conditions is burdensome. It is important to detect this burden to protect both the caregiver and the patient from negative outcomes.
Design: Survey.
Methods: Participants were 143 primary caregivers of patients with dementia and 30 caregivers of older adults without dementia in two hospitals in Mexico City.
Results: The internal reliability was Cronbach's α=0·89 and 0·82 for the 25-item and the seven-item versions, respectively. The item-total correlations for two Screen for Caregiver Burden versions were significant from r=0·26 to r=0·77 p<0·001. The test-retest was ICC=0·78 p<0·001; CI 95% (0·55-0·89) and ICC=0·72 p<0·001; CI 95% (0·41-0·86) for the 25-item and the seven-item, respectively. We found from non-significant to highly significant correlations between two Screen for Caregiver Burden versions and other measures ranged. Validity of known groups showed that the caregivers of demented patients experienced more burden than those caring for non-demented patients.
Conclusions: Given these psychometric properties, both versions of the Screen for Caregiver Burden are valid tools and can be reliably used to assess the presence and level of caregiver burden in caregivers of demented patients.
Relevance to Clinical Practice: The Screen for Caregiver Burden in the Spanish Language can be used in clinical practice to detect caregiver burden in family members. We recommend using the long or full-length version when the objective is to assess the caregiver burden carefully and the short version (seven-item) as a screening method of caregiver burden that requires attention.
(© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)