Psychological distress, burden of care, and the role of coping strategies among childminders in residential children's homes

• Main Authors: Sathiaray, Devaki, Kaur, Manveen, Hanim, Aili, Ng, Chong Guan, Siau, Ching Sin
• Format: Article
• Published: Sage 2022
• Subjects: RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/42419/

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, burden of care, and the coping strategies used by childminders in residential homes. A total of 151 childminders (median age = 39; 64.7% female) participated in the study. The prevalence of psychological distress was 59.4%, and 74.0% recorded mild to moderate burden. Multivariate analyses showed that caregiver burden (adjusted beta = 0.464, P = .01), lesser application of problem-focused coping (adjusted beta = -0.292, P = .012), lower salary (adjusted beta = -0.196, P = .040), and lower educational qualification (adjusted beta = -0.212, P = .038) predicted higher psychological distress. Regular screening of psychological distress and burden of care is recommended among this population.