Carers Assessment of Difficulties Index (CADI): Psychometric properties for use with carers of people with dementia

Burden is a commonly recognised phenomenon in family caring. The Carers Assessment of Difficulties Index (CADI) was developed as a clinical tool for assessing the multiple dimensions of carer burden. It has been used with a number of caring cohorts, but its psychometric properties have not been explored specifically with carers of people with dementia. The 30-item CADI was administered to 232 carers of people with dementia with the aim of assessing the suitability of the frequency scale for clinical and research use with this population. The psychometric properties were examined, including descriptive data, a principal components analysis (PCA), and a reliability analysis on the resultant components. All items were experienced by some participants, but no item was experienced by all. An 8-factor solution from the PCA explained 59% of the variance. Eight subscales were established with good internal consistency. It is concluded that the CADI is suitable for both clinical and research use with carers of people with dementia.