The Relationship Between Marital Satisfaction and Caregiver Burden in Parents Who Care for Adult Children with Development Disabilities

JuJuane M. Easter, Lindenwood University

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between marital satisfaction and caregiver burden in parents of individuals with mental disabilities. Eighteen couples (18 women and 18 men) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), and the Caregiver's Burden Scale (CBS). It was hypothesized that there would be a negative correlation between marital satisfaction and caregiver burden. The correlations between the IMS scale and CBS scale were calculated for men and women separately. Findings indicate that the correlation for the IMS scale with the CBS scale for men was not statistically significant (.246). Also, the correlation for the IMS scale and the CBS scale for women was not statistically significant (.177).