Perceived Stress and Quality of Life among Caregivers of Children with Behavioral Disorders Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kolkata

Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of children with behavioral disorders often face significant psychological challenges, including stress, and compromised quality of life. Objectives: To assess perceived stress and quality of life and its association with selective sample characteristics of the caregivers of children with behavioral disorders. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 110 caregivers attending child guidance clinic of the Psychiatric Outpatient Department (OPD) at hospitals, Kolkata. Participants were screened and enrolled considering inclusion and exclusion criteria using purposive sampling techniques. Recommendation from the institutional ethics committee and ethical guidelines were strictly followed. Outcome variables were measured by using standardized Perceived Stress Scale and PedsQL Family Impact Module. Results: The current study findings revealed that the majority (94.55%) of the caregivers were parents and 65.46% were aged between 31 and 40 years. Most of the caregivers were Hindu (71%), belonged to nuclear families (46.37%), and 85.46% had no financial support from other sources. The majority (51.82%) of the children were diagnosed with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) only, 56.36% belonged to the age group of 8–11 years, and 70% were male. Among the caregivers, 66.36% had a mean level of stress and 24.55% had high stress. The mean perceived stress score was 24.78 ± 4.89. The mean total quality of life score was 64.10 ± 4.35, whereas the mean emotional functioning score was 58.75 ± 4.33 and the mean worry score was 60.41 ± 6.20. A negative correlation existed between perceived stress and quality of life (p < 0.02). The association of quality of life with duration of caregiving, and perceived stress with marital status, family support, and family conflict were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Conclusion: These findings suggest that caregiver support in tertiary care settings should include stress management counselling, psychoeducation, family-support strengthening, and referral support for caregivers experiencing high stress, alongside the child’s standard mental health care.