Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the study group
| Characteristic | N |
|---|---|
|
Gender |
|
| Male |
5 |
| Female |
13 |
|
Age |
|
| 30-39 |
2 |
| 40-49 |
2 |
| 50-59 |
3 |
| 60-69 |
7 |
| 70-79 |
3 |
| 80-89 |
1 |
|
Relationship to person with MND |
|
| Spouse/partner |
18 |
|
Length of relationship to person with MND |
|
| 5 to 10 years |
1 |
| 10 to 25 years |
3 |
| More than 25 years |
14 |
|
Residence area |
|
| Urban/metropolitan |
14 |
| Rural |
4 |
|
Highest level of education attained |
|
| Primary/elementary school |
1 |
| Secondary/high school |
11 |
| University/technical |
5 |
| Postgraduate |
1 |
|
Number of minor children living at home |
|
| 0 |
15 |
| 1 |
2 |
| 3 |
1 |
|
Current employment status |
|
| None |
13 |
| Full-time |
3 |
| Part-time |
2 |
|
Caring hours per day |
|
| Less than 4 hours |
5 |
| 4 to 8 hours |
2 |
| 8 to 12 hours |
1 |
| More than 12 hours |
10 |
|
Time since MND diagnosis of family member |
|
| Less than one year |
4 |
| One to two years |
9 |
| Two to three years |
2 |
| Three to four years |
0 |
| More than four years |
3 |
|
Are you currently being treated for a major medical condition? |
|
| No |
6 |
| Yes |
12 |
|
Have you been prescribed medication to help you cope? |
|
| Anti-depressant |
1 |
| Anti-anxiety |
1 |
| No |
16 |
|
Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person? |
|
| Yes |
3 |
| Somewhat |
10 |
| No |
5 |
|
Cognitive screening scores of person with MND |
|
| No impairment |
11 |
| Suspected mild to moderate impairment |
7 |
|
Formal support received to help cope with family member’s MND
a
|
|
| None |
7 |
| Support group |
3 |
| Home care |
4 |
| Respite |
1 |
| Counselling |
1 |
| Psychologist/Psychiatrist |
2 |
| Other: |
|
| MND Association |
3 |
| Church |
1 |
| Massage |
1 |
| Medication | 1 |
Note. a Participants could list more than one type of support.