CHAPTER 22: CAREGIVER STRAIN INDEX (CSI) AND MODIFIED CAREGIVER STRAIN INDEX (MCSI)

Description

The Caregiver Strain Index (CSI) by Robinson (1983) is a 13-item questionnaire originally created to screen for caregiver strain experienced after hospital discharge of a family member (Thornton & Travis, 2003). The CSI is both objective and subjective and examines three dimensions associated with the level of burden a person may be experiencing (perception of care-giving, care-recipient characteristics, and emotional status) as well as the following eight foundational concepts: (1) care recipient mental functioning, (2) physical functioning, (3) global functioning, (4) medication complexity, (5) age of caregiver, (6) age of care recipient, (7) length of time of caregiving, and (8) family caregiver medication administration issues (Thornton & Travis, 2003). During the assessment the subject is asked, through self-report or interview, to consider if they are experiencing strain along a 2-point dichotomous scale where 0 = no and 1 = yes for the 13 categories of questions. Scores range from 0 to 13 and higher scores suggest more perceived strain. A modified version developed Thornton and Travis (2003) is also available that uses the same original 13 categories; however, some clarifications were made to the wording which has resulted in increased sensitivity (Sullivan, 2007). Also, the scoring rubric was upgraded to a 3-point scale (0 to 2) where 0 = no on a regular basis, 1 = sometimes, and 2 = yes. The maximum score of the modified CSI (mCSI) is 26 with a range of 0 to 26, and like the original, higher scores indicate more strain. Both version can be completed in less than 5 minutes.

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