Caregiving in heart failure: relationship quality is associated with caregiver benefit finding and caregiver burden

Objective: To determine whether relationship quality is associated with caregiver benefit or burden and how depression influences these associations.

Background: Caregivers influence outcomes of patients with heart failure (HF). Relationship quality, caregiver benefit and burden are key factors in the caregiving experience.

Methods: Nineteen caregivers of HF outpatients completed measures of relationship quality, caregiver benefit, burden and depression. Associations were assessed using Pearson's correlations.

Results: Relationship quality was positively associated with caregiver benefit (r = 0.45, P = 0.05) and negatively associated with burden (r = -0.80, P < 0.0001) and depression (r = -0.77, P = 0.0001). Relationship quality and burden remained associated after controlling for depression.

Conclusions: In this exploratory study, relationship quality was positively associated with caregiver benefit and negatively associated with burden. Future studies are needed to further understand these key caregiving factors, which may lead to opportunities to help caregivers see benefits and reduce burden.