Psychological Distress, Burden of Care, and the Role of Coping Strategies Among Childminders in Residential Children's Homes

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, burden of care, and the coping strategies used by childminders in residential homes. A total of 151 childminders (median age = 39; 64.7% female) participated in the study. The prevalence of psychological distress was 59.4%, and 74.0% recorded mild to moderate burden. Multivariate analyses showed that caregiver burden (adjusted beta = 0.464, P = .01), lesser application of problem-focused coping (adjusted beta = -0.292, P = .012), lower salary (adjusted beta = -0.196, P = .040), and lower educational qualification (adjusted beta = -0.212, P = .038) predicted higher psychological distress. Regular screening of psychological distress and burden of care is recommended among this population.