Zarit Scale: What Is It And What Is This Psychological Test For?
It is generally thought that the patient is the only one who suffers, but in reality behind a subject suffering from some pathology there is a group of people who are also affected in some way by said situation.
The Zarit scale is a psychometric evaluation instrument intended to measure the level of condition that people dedicated to caring for patients diagnosed with some type of dementia may have.
In this article we will review the technical sheet of the zarit scale, we will see the procedure for its application and correction, the population for which said scale is intended, as well as we will review what the caregiver syndrome consists of.
The Zarit scale was originally composed by Steven H. Zarit, and It consists of 22 reactive Likert-type response items This instrument is intended to measure the level of awareness and perception of caregivers regarding the areas of their lives that are affected due to their work.
The frequency values available to the subject to answer the Zarit scale are between 1 (never) and 5 (almost always).
The areas of the questionnaire include both physical and psychological, taking into account that Caring for a person with dementia is a demanding task in several aspects and can significantly alter the lives of those who are dedicated to caring for these types of patients.
The financial and social resources invested in care are also taken into account by the items of the Zarit scale.
The score range of this instrument is between 22 and 110 points. The higher the score range obtained by the subject, the higher the level of affection they present with respect to their work as a caregiver.
Application
The application of this instrument can be in multiple ways. For example, a collective application could be carried out in case a study is being carried out on a sample of the population. Can also be self-administered in case we are caring for a patient and we want to know to what extent we are affected.
In the field of clinical psychology, the therapist could apply this scale in order to know exactly the level of his patient’s condition, and at the same time show him in a measurable way that It is necessary to look for better alternatives regarding your work as a caregiver
Instrument correction
Once the total scores of the scale have been obtained, in the 22 reactive items, they are added. As mentioned above, the range is between 22 and 110. The cut-off points that determine the level of the caregiver’s condition according to the Spanish adaptation, are the following:
The population for which the Zarit scale is intended includes all those people who meet the characteristic of providing care to one or more patients with some type of diagnosed dementia.
When the subject is caring for a loved one, it is difficult to make them understand that It is not healthy to devote yourself full time to these tasks In these cases, there is an emotional bias that blocks the objectivity of the caregivers. In these cases, the therapist must apply the techniques and treatments taking into account the intensity of the caregiver’s dependence on the person they care for.
Sometimes caregivers They create a dysfunctional environment, where their actions are counterproductive for all parties involved (caregiver, family and patient)
caregiver syndrome
The Zarit caregiver scale is designed, among other things, to determine If a person may be presenting with caregiver syndrome which consists of a generalized state of affectation caused by performing care tasks for a person with symptoms of dementia.
The emotional, physical, and sometimes also financial overload that falls on some caregivers, especially when it comes to family members, can completely modify the roles that each of them play within its core.
This situation complicates their daily activities to a high degree and can mean loss of jobs, family separations, among other series of maladaptive situations for subjects who present caregiver syndrome.
Recommendations to avoid the syndrome
In general terms, the professional guidelines that are usually given to caregivers to reduce the risk of presenting this symptomatology are the following:
In the case of therapists who have patients with caregiver syndrome, they must work to promote their autonomy and channel any behavioral problems they may present. With the purpose of ensuring that the subject appropriately distributes time between her life and that of the patient whom he cares for.
