Burden of care, psychological distress, resilience and quality of life in caregivers of patients with renal disease

Abstract

The caretakers of a patient with chronic renal disease are often under a lot of stress. Their mental, emotional, and even physical health may suffer significantly as a result (Perveen et al., 2026). This study aimed to investigate burden of care, psychological distress, resilience and quality of life in caregivers of patients with renal disease. A quantitative, cross sectional research design was employed, utilizing a correlational approach. A sample of 300 renal patient caregivers across Bhakkar was selected by Purposive sampling. Standardized psychological measures including Zarit Burden Interview, DASS-21, Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14) and WHOQOL-BREF, were used for evaluation of Burden of Care, Psychological Distress (Depression, Anxiety, Stress), Resilience and Quality of Life respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to compute the mean and standard deviation of study variables.  Correlation, regression analysis and gender differences were also examined through SPSS-25. Results showed that burden of care was negatively correlated with resilience and quality of life, while burden of care was positively related to psychological distress. Independent-samples t-test analysis showed that female caregivers reported a high level of burden of care, psychological distress and low level of quality of life as compare to male caregivers. The study concludes that higher burden of care is associated with greater psychological distress and lower resilience and quality of life among caregivers of patients with renal disease. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive social, financial, physical, and psychological support to address caregivers' needs and promote their well-being.