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Analysis of Caregiver Burden Expressed in Social Media Discussions

Author

Listed:
  • Catherine C. Shoults

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Michael W. Rutherford

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Aaron S. Kemp

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Merideth A. Addicott

    (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Aliza Brown

    (Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Carolyn J. Greene

    (Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Corey J. Hayes

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
    VA HSR&D COIN Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Jennifer M. Gan

    (Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Linda J. Larson-Prior

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
    Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

  • Jonathan P. Bona

    (Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA)

Abstract

Almost 40% of US adults provide informal caregiving, yet research gaps remain around what burdens affect informal caregivers. This study uses a novel social media site, Reddit, to mine and better understand what online communities focus on as their caregiving burdens. These forums were accessed using an application programming interface, a machine learning classifier was developed to remove low information posts, and topic modeling was applied to the corpus. An expert panel summarized the forums’ themes into ten categories. The largest theme extracted from Reddit’s forums discussed the personal emotional toll of being a caregiver. This was followed by logistic issues while caregiving and caring for parents who have cancer. Smaller themes included approaches to end-of-life care, physical equipment needs when caregiving, and the use of wearables or technology to help monitor care recipients. The platform often discusses caregiving for parents which may reflect the age of Reddit’s users. This study confirms that Reddit forums are used for caregivers to discuss the burdens associated with their role and the types of stress that can result from informal caregiving.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine C. Shoults & Michael W. Rutherford & Aaron S. Kemp & Merideth A. Addicott & Aliza Brown & Carolyn J. Greene & Corey J. Hayes & Jennifer M. Gan & Linda J. Larson-Prior & Jonathan P. Bona, 2023. "Analysis of Caregiver Burden Expressed in Social Media Discussions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-11, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:1933-:d:1042241
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anderson, L.A. & Goodman, R.A. & Holtzman, D. & Posner, S.F. & Northridge, M.E., 2012. "Aging in the United States: Opportunities and challenges for public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(3), pages 393-395.
    2. Deborah Jacks Camak, 2015. "Addressing the burden of stroke caregivers: a literature review," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(17-18), pages 2376-2382, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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