The experience of caregiving inventory: further evidence

Background: The aim of this study was to reexamine the construct validity o f the Experience of Caregiving Inventory (ECI) using new, independent data from a population of patients and their carers. This involved re-testing th e ECI within the stress-coping model, but adding new variables which includ ed independently rated (rather than carer-rated) assessments of the patient 's symptoms and disabilities, a rating of social support (this time for the patient rather than the carer) and a measure of a range of service inputs. Method: Data were available on 69 patients and their carers from the PRiSM Psychosis Study. Two regression analyses were performed; the first to esta blish the extent to which the ECI predicted GHQ scores and the second to ex amine predictors of the ECI selected from the wider dataset on the basis of their likely relationship to carer appraisal. The second regression analys is was performed in two stages, allowing the effect of service factors to b e assessed after controlling for the impact of patient personal characteris tics such as illness-related or environmental factors. Results: ECI scores accounted for 27% of the variance of GHQ scores. Over one-third of the ECI negative appraisal can be explained by a combination of patient disability (the Social Behaviour Score Total), extent of patients' social network (Soc ial Network Schedule: Number of Friends)and involvement of a Community Psyc hiatric Nurse (CPN). At the same level of patient morbidity and informal so cial network, CPN contact reduced ECI scores. Conclusion: As hypothesised, ECI scores correlated significantly with the other measures in the directio ns predicted by the stress-coping model; that is, negative caregiving as me asured by the ECI predicted carer morbidity, while it in turn was predicted by a combination of stressor variables (patient symptoms and disability) a cting to increase it, and mediating variables (social support, service inpu ts) acting to reduce it. Implications for services are discussed.