Local studies on family caregivers which can be found under ‘Part 10: Dementia Research’ are reviewed and discussed here. Among 33 local studies included, a wide range of domains of mental health of caregivers have been studied, including care burden (16 studies), depression/depressive symptoms (14 studies), distress caused by behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (4 studies), role overload (3 studies), caregiving strain (1 study), burnout (1 study), anticipatory grief (2 studies), positive aspects of caregiving (4 studies), quality of life (3 studies), life satisfaction (2 studies), meaning in life (1 study), psychological wellbeing (1 study), and overall wellbeing (1 study). However, only 1 study reports the physical health of caregivers. Descriptive statistics of care burden, depression/depressive symptoms, positive aspects of caregiving, quality of life and physical health of caregivers reported by some local studies were extracted and summarised. For care burden measured by the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview, its mean ranged from 24.4 to 43.6 (total sample size: 850), indicating a mild to moderate level of burden; for depression/depressive symptoms measured by the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, the mean score ranged from 12.9 to 19.6 (total sample size: 1468), with a score of 16 or above suggesting significant or mild depressive symptomatology.

Table 8.4. Care burden, depression / depressive symptoms, positive aspects of caregiving, quality of life and physical health of family carers of people with dementia

Author (Year)	Sample size	Dementia severity / cognitive performance	Mean (SD)
Care Burden
Family Caregiving Burden Inventory (FCBI) (24-item) (0-96)
Chien and Lee (2008)	44 (Exp) 44 (Control)	Early (ambulatory): 80% Late: 20%	68.1 (14.9) 67.8  (15.7)
Chien and Lee (2011)	46 (Exp) 46 (Control)	DSM-IV Mild to moderate; MMSE: Exp: 17.5 (4.7) Control: 17.3 (3.9)	68.0 (14.6) 66.9 (13.7)
Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) (22-item) (0-88)
Yan and Kwok (2011)	122	Not specified	36.8 (14.4)
S. T. Cheng, L. C. Lam, T. Kwok, N. S. Ng, and A. W. Fung (2013a)	99	Clinical Dementia Rating: 3% Very mild, 24% Mild, 53% Moderate, 20% Severe MMSE: 12.16 (8.26)	24.4 (15.6)
S. T. Cheng, Lam, and Kwok (2013)	142	MMSE 15.18 (5.57)	24.5 (14.8)
Kwok et al. (2013)	18 (Exp) 20 (Control)	Global Deterioration Scale – Median (range): 5 (4–6) Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) – Median (range): Exp: 4.00 (2–8) Control: 4.00 (0–7)	37.0 (17-54) 34.0 (15-57)
S. T. Cheng, Fung, Chan, and Lam (2016)	45 (Gp 1) 42 (Gp 2) 42 (Gp 3)	Clinical Dementia Rating: 1 or 2; mild to moderate dementia	35.0 (16.7) 35.1 (14.2) 33.7 (16.6)
D. S. F. Yu, Kwok, Choy, and Kavanagh (2016)	123	34%: early, 53%: moderate, 13%: severe dementia	26.8 (15.1)
C. S. C. Wong (2018)	89	Not specified	37.1 (12.4)
D. S. K. Cheung, Ho, Cheung, Lam, and Tse (2018)	108	Functional Assessment Staging Test (Stage 4-7): 73 (68%) score 4 or 5; 35 (32%) score 6 or 7	43.6 (18.2)
Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) (12-item) (0-48)
S. T. Cheng, Ip, and Kwok (2013)	76	Not specified	19.5 (8.71)
K. S. L. Cheung et al. (2015)	201	Not specified	20.3 (9.30)
Lou, Kwan, Chong, and Chi (2015)	374	MMSE: 15.6 (6.2)	15.5 (9.41)
J. Y. Tang et al. (2016)	500	Not specified	19.1 (8.8)
B. H. P. Lau, Lou, and Cheung (2018)	397	Not specified	19.7 (8.84)
Depression / Depressive symptoms
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale (20-item) (0-60)
P. K. Wong et al. (2008)	120	MMSE: 14.68 (5.53) Mild (MMSE > 19): 16 Mild – moderate (MMSE 15 – 19): 38 Moderate (MMSE 10 – 14): 46 Severe (MMSE < 10): 18	13.1 (9.50)
A Au et al. (2009)	134	MMSE: 14.84 (5.46)	12.9 (9.25)
A Au, Wong, Leung, Leung, and Wong (2014)	30 (Exp); 30 (Control)	MMSE: Exp: 15.5 (6.3); Control: 12.9 (5.5)	16.1 (10.9) 12.1 (8.90)
A. Au (2015)	49 (Exp); 44 (Control)	MMSE: Exp: 15.12 (5.68), Control 16.40 (5.58)	13.5 (7.28) 13.6 (8.77)
K. S. L. Cheung et al. (2015)	201	Not specified	15.8 (9.48)
Lou, Lau, and Cheung (2015)	374	MMSE: 15.6 (6.2)	19.6 (8.87)
C. S. C. Wong (2018)	89	Not specified	15.1 (9.0)
B. H. P. Lau et al. (2018)	397	Not specified	15.3 (9.20)
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale (10-item) (0-30)
W. C. H. Chan, Wong, Kwok, and Ho (2017)	120	Functional Assessment Staging Test: 6.8 (2.81)	9.00 (6.49)
Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CESD) (7-item) (1-4)
B. H. P. Lau and Cheng (2017)	101	Not specified	2.07 (0.85)
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) (17-item) (0-52)
S. T. Cheng, Lam, Kwok, et al. (2013a)	99	Clinical Dementia Rating: 3% Very mild, 24% Mild, 53% Moderate, 20% Severe MMSE: 12.16 (8.26)	4.4 (4.87)
S. T. Cheng, Lam, and Kwok (2013)	142	MMSE: 15.18(5.57)	3.9 (4.03)
S. T. Cheng et al. (2016)	45 (Gp 1) 42 (Gp 2) 42 (Gp 3)	Clinical Dementia Rating: 1 or 2; mild to moderate dementia	6.36 (4.22) 6.14 (3.36) 6.98 (4.12)
Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) (5-item) from SF-36 (0-100)
D. S. F. Yu et al. (2016)	123	34% early, 53% moderate, 13%: severe	69.0 (16.8)
Positive Aspects of Caregiving
Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) Scale (9-item) (9-45)
S. T. Cheng, Lam, Kwok, et al. (2013a)	99	Clinical Dementia Rating: 3% Very mild, 24% Mild, 53% Moderate, 20% Severe MMSE: 12.16 (8.26)	25.0 (6.19)
Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) Scale (11-item) (0-44)
Lou, Lau, et al. (2015)	374	MMSE: 15.6 (6.2)	27.8 (9.45)
K. S. L. Cheung et al. (2015)	201	Not specified	27.7 (9.93)
B. H. P. Lau et al. (2018)	397	Not specified	27.0 (9.94)
Quality of Life
World Health Organisation Quality of Life Measure‐Brief Version (WHOQoL‐BREF) (28-item) (28-140)
Fung and Chien (2002)	26 (Exp); 26 (Control)	Not specified	96.9 (14.1) 103.8 (0.68)
Chien and Lee (2011)	46 (Exp); 46 (Control)	Mild to moderate; MMSE: Exp: 17.5 (4.7) Control: 17.3 (3.9)	64.8 (13.0) 67.1 (15.5)
Physical Health
Self-rated health (single item) (0 – 4)
Lou, Lau, et al. (2015)	374	MMSE: 15.6 (6.2)	2.84 (0.91)

Note:

1. For each measure, name of the instrument, number of items and possible range are presented.
2. For clinical trials, baseline scores of each group are presented.

References:

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