An Examination of a Simplified Stroke Rehabilitation Program for Reducing Family Caregiver’s Burden for Stroke Patients in Rural China

With stroke being one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, families and social systems may face strain as they adjust to a caregiving role. This strain may be amplified in family systems living in rural areas due to limited access to resources. Thus, it is important for helping professionals such as couple, marriage, and family therapists to understand what facets of this disability are linked with caregiver strain as well as to explore and understand various interventions that may ease caregiver burden. Using existing data from 177 pairs of stroke patients and their family caregivers in rural Mainland China, the present study utilized a moderation analysis to examine (1) the association between stroke patient physical functioning, patient mental health, and their family caregiver burden and (2) how a developed patient rehabilitation intervention program for caregivers moderated the association between patient physical functioning as well as mental health and caregiver burden 6-month post intervention. Results suggested that better patient physical functioning were related to lower levels of caregiver burden (b = − 1.418, p <.001, β = − 0.33). However, the developed rehabilitation intervention program did not significantly moderate the association between stroke patient physical functioning as well as mental health and caregiver burden. These findings provide insight into correlates of stroke patients’ caregiver burden in rural China. Development of more effective rehabilitation programs and interventions for stroke patients and their family caregivers as well how couple, marriage, and family therapists may be uniquely qualified to contribute to such interventions is discussed.