en Psychology and Psychiatry Original Article <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Background:</span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Hospitalization of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can lead to burden of care and cause health problems for family members of the patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burden of care and mental health of family members of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Methods:</span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> This cross-sectional correlation study was conducted from November 2021 to February 2022. The study population consisted 84 family members of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Shariati Hospital affiliated&nbsp;with</span></span></span><b> </b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The subjects were selected via </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">consecutive sampling</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Data collection was done using a demographic information form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, the Zarit Burden Interview, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Data were analyzed using SPSS 16</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> and at significance level of 0.05.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Results:</span></span></span></b> <span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">More than half of the participants (51.22%) experienced mild to moderate level of care burden, while 17.07% of them experienced moderate to severe level of care burden. The mean score of mental health in the participants was 16.925&plusmn;1.953.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> By adjusting the demographic variables and the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21,</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> the level of stress of family members led to more burden of care</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> (coefficient beta= 0.608, 95% confidence interval= 0.451-1.556, P=0.001).</span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Conclusion:</span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Paying attention to the issue of stress in the family members of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and supporting these individuals can help to provide better care to the patients and reduce health challenges.</span></span></span></span></span></span> Care Burden, COVID-19, Family Caregivers, Mental Health 59 62 http://nmj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1463-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Leila Sayadi sayadi117@hotmail.com 100319475328460010720 100319475328460010720 No school of nursing & midwifery, nursing and midwifery care research center, Tehran university of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran Faranak Masoumi Fard f.masomi@yahoo.com 100319475328460010721 100319475328460010721 Yes Staff Training Center, Tehran university of medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.