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This is a correlational and descriptive study.
The purpose of the study was to realize the
perceived stress and coping strategies of family
caregivers before and after the head injury
patient''s discharge. The relationship of the stress
and the coping strategies and the factors related to stress
coping also were examined. Twenty head injury patients and
their family caregiver were selected by purposive sampling.
Two instruments, the Stress Survey and the Caregiver coping
Inventory, developed by the investigator were used to measure
perceived stress and coping strategies of family caregivers.
Data were collected by means of chart review, patient
observation, and interview. The results of the study revealed
that the stress from the patient''s physical symptoms, the
impaired cognitive function and knowledge deficit decreased
significantly one month after patient''s discharge.
Before and one month after patient''s discharge, whether there
are disputs on the event and the patient''s GOS score are the
main predicting factors in the perceived stress of family
caregivers, respectively. The coping strategies used did not
change a lot one month after patient''s discharge. Whether
there was drinking on the accident is a significant predictor
in the frequency of the coping strategies used. A significant
relationship was observed between the perceived stress from
the impact of the family function and the coping strategies
used before patient''s discharge. After patient''s discharge,
the stress from the lack of knowledge in patient care was
correlated to the coping strategies used.
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