Effect of Counseling on Coping Ability among Caregivers of Patients with Chronic illness : ผลของการให้คำปรึกษาต่อความสามารถเผชิญปัญหาในผู้ดูแลผู้ป่วยโรคเรื้อรัง

บทคัดย่อ

          The caregivers of patients with chronic illness at home are prone to suffer from the physical, psycho-emotional and social effects leading to chronic stress and deteriorating their health. They are classified as a risk group that should not be overlooked. The purpose of this action research was to study the effect of counseling on anxiety level and coping ability in caregivers of patients with chronic illness and bed-ridden. The samples were 107 caregivers of patients with chronic disease and bed-ridden in Phone Pisai District, Nong Khai province. The data were collected using the anxiety state questionnaires and the coping ability questionnaires. The Cronbach’ salpha coefficients were 0.88 for both questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics.

          The results showed that most of the caregivers of patients with chronic illness were females (78.50%). Of these, 47.70% were aged over 51 years old, 65.40% involved with agriculture, 51.41% were primary school graduation. They have been taking care of the patients for 1 to 5 years of 51.40%. The comparison of mean score before and after counseling showed that after receiving the counseling, the mean score of anxiety level was significantly decreased (p< 0.05). The mean score of coping ability of caregivers was significantly increased (p< 0.05).

          Health care providers should pay attention to caregivers as similar as patients by setting them as a target group of care and planning for improving their ability of problem coping and decreasing their anxiety state.

          Keywords : Counseling, Coping  Ability,  Anxiety, Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Illness