Background and Objectives: To explore the impact of the pandemic on the caregiver (CG) burden, related factors among CGs of people with dementia (PwD), and perceived change during the COVID-19 compared with before the pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional study using an electronic questionnaire-based survey among the primary CGs of PwD assessed CG burden with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12) and examined self-perceived change in multidimensional domains compared before the COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 135 primary CGs were enrolled at the Geriatric clinic, Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, and various online platforms. The study revealed the level of CG burden during the COVID-19 as a “severe burden” in 34 (25.2%), “mild to moderate burden” in 52 (38.5%), and “no to mild burden” in 49 (36.3%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-perceived change of CGs showed an increase in CG burden in 73 (54.1%) and depression in 70 (51.9%). The comparison between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a worsening NPI-Q score and level of functional ability of the PwD with statistical significance (p<0.001). The younger age, women, and high-level CG education were associated with a higher CG burden. Moreover, the family conflict showed a significant association with the CG burden. However, in terms of COVID-19-related factors, the author found no significant association between CG burden and the PwD’s characteristics or the COVID-19-related concerns. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with CG burden. Identifying the related factors in an unusual situation may help reduce the CG burden and improve the care of PwD.

-