Informal Caregivers and Their Coping Styles: A Preliminary Report

Introduction:There is a strong correlation between stress and the quality of care provided by informal carers. In this regard, an accurate understanding about factors contributing to stress among informal carers is crucial in order to find appropriate interventions to solve their problems. Methods: A pilot study was conducted in October 2009 in the Klang Valley area, to test the instrument liability in the local context. In-depth interviews were conducted with two informal caregivers who are providing full-time care for their chronically-ill family members. Results: Informal caregivers face multiple types of stress. A variety of factors such as financial problems, an unsupportive community, fatigue, the unavailability of social services to assist them and their inability to accept the fact that their loved ones are terminally ill, contribute to their stress. Conclusions: Differences in factors contribute to stress, and lead to the adoption of different styles of coping strategies: emotion and problem focused coping.