Stress, overload and spiritual related to the quality of life of caregivers of older adults

Abstract

Introduction: the identification of risk and protective factors for quality of life allows the development of interventions to improve the quality of life of caregivers of older adults. Objective: determine the relationship between stress, overload and spirituality with the quality of life of caregivers of older adults. Methods: cross-sectional and analytical study in 97 caregivers of older adults. The Perceived Stress Scale, Zarit test, Spirituality Questionnaire and Whoqol Breff questionnaire were applied. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were applied. Results: no statistical significance was observed of overload, stress and spirituality on global quality of life (F_{[3, 93]} = 2,19, p = 0,094). Overload is a risk factor for physical quality of life (p=0,002), stress is a risk factor (p<0,001) and spirituality is a protective factor (p<0,001) for psychological quality of life, stress is a risk factor for social quality of life (p=0,023) and spirituality is a risk factor for environmental quality of life (p=0,002). Conclusions: the design of interventions to improve the quality of life of caregivers must consider addressing stress and overload since they are factors that affect the dimensions of quality of life. Spirituality is a protective factor for psychological and environmental quality of life, so it is important to encourage its practice in caregivers.