Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of the caregivers sample (N = 80).
| How many children do you have? | % |
| 1 child | 47.3 |
| 2 children | 36.3 |
| 3 children | 12.5 |
| More than 3 children | 3.9 |
| How many have disabilities? | |
| One child with a disability | 85 |
| Two children with a disability | 12.5 |
| Three children with a disability | 2.5 |
| What is your employment status? | |
| Self-employed | 25 |
| Full-time employed | 35 |
| Part-time employed | 16.3 |
| Not employed | 23.7 |
| What is your income bracket? | |
| from EUR 32,000.01 to EUR 40,000.00 | 2.5 |
| from EUR 40,000.01 to EUR 48,000.00 | 1.3 |
| from EUR 16,000.01 to EUR 24,000.00 | 37.4 |
| from EUR 24,000.01 to EUR 32,000.00 | 2.5 |
| from EUR 8000.01 to EUR 16,000.00 | 41.3 |
| up to EUR 8000.00 | 15 |
| Where do you reside? | |
| Center | 5 |
| Isles | 65 |
| North | 15 |
| South | 15 |
| What type of disability does the person you assist have? | |
| Intellectual/Cognitive | 81 |
| Physical/Motor | 10 |
| Both | 9 |
| How many hours a day are you engaged in caregiving? | |
| Less than two hours | 2.5 |
| From three to six hours | 22.5 |
| More than six hours | 75 |
| The level of dependency of the family member you assist is: | |
| Severe | 43.8 |
| Moderate | 42.5 |
| Mild | 12.5 |
| None | 1.3 |
| With the assisted person: | |
| Lives in the same city | 1.3 |
| Lives nearby | 1.3 |
| Co-lives in the same house | 97.5 |
| How long have they been taking care of their family member? | |
| For over five years | 75 |
| For over three years | 15 |
| For over a year | 5 |
| Since birth | 5 |
| What motivated you to take care of your family member? | |
| Out of love and affection | 87.57 |
| Due to responsibility and a sense of duty | 9.42 |
| Because I had no other choice: no one else could take care of them | 3.01 |
| How often does your caregiving activity occur? | |
| At least once every fifteen days | 1.3 |
| Multiple times a week | 6.3 |
| Daily | 90 |
| Once a week | 2.5 |
| On average, how many hours per week do you dedicate to caregiving activities? | |
| Up to 20 h | 8.8 |
| Up to 40 h | 20 |
| Up to 70 h | 31.3 |
| Over 70 h | 40 |
| Do you feel you need help? | |
| Sometimes | 32.5 |
| Frequently | 50 |
| Never | 3.8 |
| Very frequently | 13.8 |
| How do you rate the burden of caregiving activities for your family member? | |
| Light | 5 |
| Very heavy | 11.3 |
| Heavy | 51.2 |
| Manageable | 32.5 |
| Have you recently experienced: | |
| Crying spells | 20.79 |
| Outbursts of anger | 16.68 |
| Symptoms of excessive tiredness | 40.38 |
| Insomnia | 22.46 |
| Do you believe caregiving has deteriorated your quality of life and social relationships? | |
| Partially | 52.5 |
| Not at all | 6.3 |
| Significantly | 41.3 |
| Do you seek assistance in carrying out caregiving activities? | |
| No | 25 |
| Yes | 75 |
| Do you rely on informal help? | |
| Family member | 85.8 |
| Babysitter | 0.65 |
| Untrained caregiver | 0.65 |
| Neighbors | 0.65 |
| Volunteers | 3.75 |
| None | 7.6 |
| “Autism Space” | 1.3 |
| Do you attend a day center? | |
| No | 52.5 |
| Yes | 47.5 |
| How much does the cost of caring for your family member affect your income? | |
| Lightly | 23.8 |
| Very heavily | 15 |
| Heavily | 61.3 |