A Stress Process Model of Caregiving for Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury
Abstract
To test a stress process model of caregiving for persons with traumatic brain injury. A correlational study using path analysis. One hundred eight caregivers affiliated with community- or Web-based support groups. The Modified Caregiver Appraisal Scale, the World Health Organization Quality of Life—Brief Version, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the COPE. The normed fit index, comparative fit index, and parsimony ratio indicated a good fit for the model, suggesting that coping, social support, and caregiving appraisal contribute to quality of life. A more parsimonious model was respecified and achieved a better fit with fewer paths and variables. Empirical support was found for the proposed caregiving stress process model, which appears to provide useful information for future research and clinical interventions.