Emotional Distress and Marital Adjustment of Caregivers: Contribution of Level of Impairment and Appraised Burden

The study examined the relative contribution of both the husband's impairment and the caregiver's sense of burden to the caregiver level of emotional distress and marital adjustment. Two hundred and fifteen veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their wives participated in the study. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and a series of clinical interviews with the veterans and their wives. Results indicated that spouses of PTSD veterans suffer from a higher level of emotional distress and a lower level of marital adjustment than the general population. Their level of distress is more closely associated with perceived caregiver burden than with the level of the veterans’ impairment. The discussion highlights some cross-cultural similarities of the findings and the clinical and empirical implications of the study.