Zarit Burden Interview
What It Measures
The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) asks a family caregiver how caring for someone else is affecting their own life. Its 22 statements cover the caregiver's health, emotional well-being, finances, social and family life, and the relationship with the person they care for. Each is rated from 0 (never) to 4 (nearly always), and a closing question asks how burdened they feel overall. Interview can be administered as a self-report assessment or a verbal interview.
Item scores are added for a total from 0 to 88, with higher scores meaning greater perceived burden. The ZBI can be filled out by the caregiver or given as an interview, and shorter forms exist, including a 12-item version and a 4-item screener. Because burden is a subjective judgment rather than a count of tasks, two people with the same caregiving duties can score very differently.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: A completed license agreement and a user fee are required of all users, including funded academic users; commercial users must also sign a screenshot review agreement.
Learn more: Shorter versions such as a 6-item and 12-item assessment exists.