• Rachel Dankner, Yaacov G Bachner, Gary Ginsberg, Arnona Ziv, Hadar Ben David, Dalit Litmanovitch-Goldstein, Gabriel Chodick, Ran Balicer, David Tanne, and Dan Greenberg.
• aThe Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research bSagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer cDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University dMaccabi Healthcare Services eClalit Research Institute, Chief Physician Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel-Aviv fDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences gDepartment of Health Systems Management, Faculty of Health Sciences and Guilford-Glazer Faculty of Business and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva hMinistry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
• Int J Rehabil Res. 2016 Dec 1; 39 (4): 326-330.

AbstractAlthough caregiving for stroke survivors is usually long-term, most studies on caregivers have generally involved only the first year following the event. We assessed and compared the long-term level of well-being measures among stroke survivors and their caregivers at more than 1 year following the stroke event and examined the associations between well-being, survivors' characteristics, and caregiver burden. We interviewed a convenience sample of 51 community-dwelling stroke survivors, at least 1 year after the last stroke event, and their primary caregivers. Disability of survivors was assessed using the Barthel index and the modified Rankin Scale; health-related quality of life by the SF-36 questionnaire; and depression and anxiety using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Caregivers filled the SF-36 questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale questionnaire, and the Zarit Burden Interview, which assesses caregiver burden. Caregivers reported low levels of health-related quality of life and high levels of burden, anxiety, and depression. Caregivers' anxiety level was higher than that of the survivors (7.7±5.1 vs. 5.8±4.5, respectively; P=0.02). Anxiety was the only characteristic of caregivers that was associated with overall caregiver burden. Our study suggests that there is a spillover effect of the disease on stroke patients' primary caregivers. Intervention programs for caregivers should focus on their mental state and address their specific needs.

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