Examining the Relationship between Coping Strategies and Caregiver Burden among Family Caregivers of Individuals with Developmental Disorders

Description

Page: 263-267

Navya Tripathi (Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh)

Caregiving for individuals with developmental disorders often places significant emotional, physical, and psychological demands on family members. This study aimed to examine the relationship between coping strategies and caregiver burden among family caregivers of individuals with developmental disorders. A sample of 100 family caregivers participated in the study using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected through an online survey that included the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI; Novak & Guest, 1989) and the Brief COPE scale (Carver, 1997). Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to analyse the data. Results indicated a strong positive and significant correlation between avoidant coping and caregiver burden (r = 0.689, p < 0.01), as well as a moderate positive correlation between emotion-focused coping and caregiver burden (r = 0.431, p < 0.01). No significant relationship was found between problem-focused coping and caregiver burden (r = -0.046, p > 0.05). These findings suggest that reliance on avoidant and emotion-focused coping strategies may increase caregiver burden, while problem-focused coping does not appear to alleviate it. The results underscore the need for interventions that promote adaptive coping strategies to support caregiver well-being.