ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the psychological burden of informal caregivers of patients with earthquake-related dependency and those caring for patients with stroke-related dependency following the 6 February 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquakes.MethodsA total of 90 informal caregivers of dependent patients were included in this comparative study: 60 caregivers of stroke patients and 30 caregivers of patients with earthquake-related dependency. Participants were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Caregiver Burden Scale, and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).ResultsCaregiver burden was significantly higher among male caregivers (p=0.026). Caregivers of patients with earthquake-related dependency more frequently reported receiving external support than caregivers of stroke patients (p=0.004). Overall, caregiving was perceived as a moderate burden in both groups. The distributions of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and hopelessness levels did not differ significantly between the groups (p=0.172, p=0.172, and p=0.834, respectively). Among caregivers of stroke patients, PTSD symptoms and caregiver burden showed moderate positive correlations with depression, anxiety, and hopelessness (all p<0.05). In caregivers of patients with earthquake-related dependency, caregiver burden was associated only with hopelessness (p=0.045).ConclusionInformal caregivers of patients with earthquake-related and stroke-related dependency experienced comparable levels of psychological distress, despite differences in caregiving context and disaster-related adversity. The higher frequency of external support among caregivers of patients with earthquake-related dependency may be associated with this pattern, suggesting that family and social support may be relevant to caregiver psychological outcomes in post-disaster settings.
Radically different