Higher caregiving burden was significantly associated with lower perceived stress among family caregivers of cardiac patients in the emergency department.
Cross-Sectional (n=259)
No
Family caregivers of cardiac patients experience substantial caregiving burden and perceived stress, highlighting the need for targeted support and resources.
Effect estimate: r = -0.745 (95% CI -0.79 to -0.69)
p-value: p=<0.001
Cardiac diseases often require prolonged caregiving, imposing substantial burden and stress on family caregivers. This study aimed to assess caregiving burden and perceived stress among family caregivers of cardiac patients and to examine their associations with demographic and care-related factors. This cross-sectional study included 259 caregivers of cardiac patients (aged ≥ 18 years, ≥ 6 months of caregiving) at the emergency department of Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital, Zanjan, Iran, in 2024. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation in SPSS version 16 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The mean total CBI score was 77.32 ± 16.16 (range: 35–94), and the mean PSS score was 31.57 ± 8.88 (range: 17–53). The highest burden was observed in the social (18.86 ± 3.28) and developmental (16.14 ± 5.10) subscales. Pearson correlation showed a statistically significant negative association between total CBI and PSS (r = − 0.745, p < 0.001). Significant differences in CBI and PSS were observed across caregiver characteristics, including gender, residence, living arrangement, education, economic status, government support, patient relationship, caregiving duration, and availability of substitutes (p < 0.05). Family caregivers of cardiac patients in emergency settings experience substantial caregiving burden and perceived stress, with a statistically significant negative association between these factors. Nurses can mitigate caregiver burden by providing timely education, emotional support, and tailored resources for high-risk caregivers, including including women, lower socioeconomic groups, and intensive caregivers.
Gheiasi et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Caregiving burden and perceived stress in family caregivers of cardiac patients (n=259). Higher caregiving burden was significantly associated with lower perceived stress among family caregivers of cardiac patients in the emergency department.