Stress and quality of life in caregivers of patients with traumatic brain injury: A cross-sectional study

Objectives Improvements in acute trauma management have contributed to an increase in morbidity and survival rates among traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Caregivers report high levels of physical strain and emotional stress. Yet, research on stress and quality of life (QoL) in caregivers of patients with TBI remains limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The objectives of this study are to assess the stress and QoL in caregivers of patients with TBI and their association with socio-demographic (age, sex, relationship with patient) and clinical factors (mode of injury, type of TBI, time since injury). Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study involving 55 adult primary caregivers of patients diagnosed with moderate-to-severe TBI at a tertiary care hospital. Caregivers were recruited from the Department of Neurosurgery outpatient section. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected, and stress levels and QoL were assessed through the Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) and relevant components of the TBI-Caregiver QoL (TBI-CareQOL) scale, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between variables. Results Caregivers recruited ranged from 19-64 years in age (Mean ± standard deviation [SD] = 37.51 ± 10.01 years) and were predominantly women (63.6%). TBI patients ranged from 15 to 70 years of age (Median [Q1, Q3] = 31 [24, 44]) and were predominantly male (36.4%). Moderate TBI occurred in 63.6% of patients, and the most common etiology was road traffic accidents (RTAs) (87.3%). Caregivers experienced severe stress (KCSS Total Score Mean ± SD = 30.18 ± 9.3) and worse QoL than the standard population mean. Caregivers of patients with TBI due to RTAs had significantly worse stress levels in terms of financial issues and worse QoL in terms of feelings of loss of self compared to TBI due to falls. Caregivers of patients with severe TBI had a significantly worse QoL in terms of feelings of loss of self compared to those with moderate TBI. Stress levels were highly correlated with all measured components of QoL. Increasing caregiver age was significantly correlated with a worse emotional suppression component of QoL (r = −0.289, P < 0.05). Conclusion The study highlights the substantial burden of stress and impaired QoL among caregivers of TBI patients, necessitating targeted interventions. Stress and QoL are closely linked, and some sociodemographic and clinical factors were associated with increased stress and impaired QoL, while other factors, such as the severity of TBI and time since injury, did not appear to have a significant effect. Further research should explore longitudinal changes in caregiver well-being and the development of tailored support services to mitigate these challenges.