EFFECTS OF RESOURCES AND STRESSORS ON BURDEN AND DEPRESSION OF FAMILYMEMBERS WHO PROVIDE CARE TO AN HIV-INFECTED WOMAN

This article describes the effect of resources and stressors on 156 fa mily members who provided care and support for an HIV-infected woman. Both resources and stressors were related to the family members' perce ived burden and depressive mood, and resources did little to buffer th e associations between stress and burden and between stress and depres sion. Together, resources and stressors accounted for 50% of the varia nce in family members' perceived burden and 21% of the variance in the ir depressive mood. The only variable important in predicting both bur den and depressive mood was the family member's feelings of stigma. Th ese results suggest that efforts should be made to reduce the stigma f elt by family members and to help them obtain additional family and co mmunity resources to ameliorate the burden of caregiving.