| The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of several variables on caregiver strain of caregivers of children with Tourette's Disorder (TD). These variables included perceived social support, caregiver characteristics, and characteristics of the child's disorder. Perceived social support was also examined as a potential mediator between caregiver and child's disorder characteristics and caregiver strain. In addition, the effect of perceived social support on caregiver strain by gender was examined.; An online survey was completed by 140 caregivers of children with TD between the ages of 6 to 18 years. This survey included a questionnaire on caregiver demographic variables, characteristics of the child's disorder and the measures on perceived social support, caregiver strain, and symptom severity of the child's TD.; A path analysis was performed to examine the outcome of caregiver strain in relation to perceived social support, caregiver age, caregiver type, caregiver gender, caregiver ethnicity, caregiver income level, and the symptom severity of and comorbidity to the child's TD. This data analysis resulted in caregiver age, symptom severity of the child's TD, and perceived social support accounting for 43% of the variance, F (8, 117) = 12.63, p < .001 in caregiver strain. Perceived social support was a partial mediator (p < .05) of child's symptom severity and caregiver strain. Symptom severity was also increased in the presence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or anxiety as comorbid disorders when compared to children either having no other comorbid disorders or other types of disorders, F (9, 130) = 7.19, p < .001. In addition, children with a comorbid disorder of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or ODD had caregivers who reported more caregiver strain than caregivers who did not have children with comorbid disorders or who had other types of comorbid disorders, F (9, 127) = 7.15, p < .001. No other variables were significant, nor was the relationship between perceived social support and caregiver strain moderated by gender; however, due to the lack of sample diversity, the non-significant results need to be interpreted cautiously. Further research is warranted to clarify caregiver demographic variables that were unable to be detected in the data analysis due to the lack of sample diversity. |
