Quality-of-life predictors for caregivers at 1 and 6 months poststroke: Results of path analyses

In this study, we used path analyses to test a theo- retical model of influences on quality of life (QOL) for stroke caregivers at 1 and 6 months poststroke. We examined data from two points in time to determine the influence of stroke survivor and caregiver characteristics on QOL for stroke care- givers. Stroke survivor and caregiver characteristics had some direct influence on QOL outcomes for stroke caregivers at both 1 and 6 months poststroke. However, the most influential fac- tor at both time points on each QOL component was sense of coherence (SOC). SOC is a relatively new factor in QOL and caregiver literature and is essentially the ability of caregivers to mobilize their coping resources during periods of stress. Care- givers who were able to mobilize these resources effectively experienced less burden in four QOL components and fewer symptoms of depression.