Berlin Inventory of Caregiver Stress—Dementia (BICS-D)

Abstract

Abstract Background and Objectives Dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent and family caregivers have been providing most of the care for persons with dementia. This caregiving is a mentally and physically demanding task. “The Berlin Inventory of Caregiver Stress—Dementia” (BICS-D) is a theory driven, multidimensional assessment which was developed as part of the Longitudinal Dementia Caregiver Stress Study (LEANDER). Research Design and Methods The inventory consists of 25 subscales with a total of 121 items. Analyses of the psychometric properties of the inventory were based on responses from 594 caregivers. Results Factor analyses confirm the multidimensionality of the inventory. The reliabilities of the subscales (Cronbach’s α) are between .72 and .95. Validity and sensitivity of the inventory were also confirmed. Differing patterns of burden could be demonstrated for different relatives (partners, children, and daughters-in-law) as well as for different degrees of severity of dementia. Discussion and Implications The scores derived for the instrument have support for reliability and validity, and sensitivity to change. It is suitable for the differential measurement of burden experienced by different subgroups of caregivers as well as for the evaluation of interventions. The different subscales of the battery can also be used separately, depending on the study’s objectives.