A Latent Class Analysis of Resilience and Its Relationship With Care Burden and Psychological Distress in Family Caregivers of Older Adults With Disability

Given the challenging circumstances of aging with disability, family caregivers (FGs) face significant strain. Resilience, however, is a crucial protective factor against adverse caregiving outcomes. The study thus aimed to determine the latent classes of resilience among FGs and examine how these classes are related to care burden and psychological distress. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that included 248 FGs in China. Latent class analysis was conducted to determine the classes of resilience exhibited by FGs. The study revealed four distinct classes of resilience: the high resilience class, high tenacity but moderate strength-optimism class, moderate resilience but low autonomy class, and low resilience class. FGs with secondary caregivers and those who were older were more likely to be part of the high resilience class. Furthermore, caregivers in the high resilience class had significantly lower burdens, less psychological distress, and greater resilience. Therefore, family caregivers' resilience can be classified according to characteristics; more attention should be given to caregivers who are younger and lack the support of secondary caregivers; and targeted interventions should be developed based on resilience classification characteristics.