Strokes and Carer Strain - Interventions to reduce strain in carers of ethnic minority stroke victims

Principal Investigator: Professor Tom Robinson

Other key staff: Ms D Baker,  Dr S Katbamna, Professor K Khunti, Dr A K Mistri, Dr K Phelps, Dr D Richardson, Professor A Wilson and Mr Bill O’ Leary

Partners involved: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, NHS Leicester City and NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland

Summary: Stroke is the most important single cause of disability in the community with patients relying on the support of family carers in both the short and long-term.  A carer’s physical and mental health may be affected, which may also result in poorer outcomes (whether physical, psychosocial, rehabilitation or institutionalisation) for the stroke patient. Data about the predictors of increased carer strain is limited, which may explain the inconclusive results of previous intervention studies to prevent carer strain. This is especially true in ethnic minority populations, where additional factors related to younger age of stroke, increased disability following stroke, and cultural and socioeconomic issues arise.

This study falls into two parts. The first aims to recruit a minimum of 100 stroke patients (50 South Asian Indian and 50 White) surviving at least one month post-stroke and with an identified carer from patients admitted to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, as well as patients managed entirely in Primary Care. We will determine the predictors of carer strain in an ethnic minority population, supplemented by in-depth interviews. The results from this will then be used in part two to refine the London model to develop a culturally-sensitive patient and carer intervention that will be introduced and compared to standard care in a pilot randomised controlled study based in primary care for carers of South Asian stroke patients.

Aims:

• To investigate the differences between levels of carer strain between South Asian and White populations
• To establish the predictors and consequences of increased carer strain in a South Asian population
• To assess the differences between predictors of carer strain in a South Asian compared to White population
• To explore issues pertinent to patients and carers by use of semi-structured interviews
• To develop and test a future population-targeted intervention to reduce carer strain

Further information: If you would like to be involved in this project, or for more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Start date: 09/2010                                                                                                      Expected end date: 03/2012

Study outcomes:

• Outcomes will include measures of patient and carer physical and mental health, health and social care contacts (including hospital readmissions), institutionalisation rates, and health economics

The information obtained from the study will be used to develop and pilot a culturally-sensitive patient and carer intervention based on a programme of information supplementation, emotional support and specific training in basic nursing skills and activities of daily living facilitation that has been previously validated in a White, middle class, physically fit, suburban population.