Objective To investigate the current status of decision-making fatigue among family caregivers of patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), and to analyze its influencing factors, so as to provide references for developing targeted intervention measures. Methods With the convenience sampling method, a total of 290 family caregivers of PSCI patients who received treatment in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of a third-grade class-A hospital in Jiangsu Province from January to December 2023 were selected as research subjects. Investigations were conducted with the General Information Questionnaire, Chinese-version Decision Fatigue Scale (DFS), Chinese-version Decisional Conflict Scale, Chinese-version Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Chinese-version Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Statistical analyses were performed via independent samples t-test, one-factor analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results The Chinese-version DFS score of the 290 family caregivers of PSCI patients was (15.17±3.59). Statistically significant differences in Chinese-version DFS scores were found between family caregivers of PSCI patients with different age, gender, educational level, understanding of PSCI, per-capita monthly household income, occupational status, and place of residence (all P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that, in PSCI patients' family caregivers, the Chinese-version DFS score was positively correlated with the Chinese-version DCS score (r=0.243) and Chinese-version PSS score (r=0.268), and it was negatively correlated with the total SSRS score (r=-0.328), its subjective support dimension score (r=-0.426), and its objective support dimension score (r=-0.184) (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that, for family caregivers of PSCI patients, their age (B=1.009), gender (B=0.804), educational level (junior high school / technical secondary school / senior high school: B=-2.135; junior college and above: B=-2.033), understanding of PSCI (B=0.874), per-capita monthly household income (3000-6000 CNY: B=1.142), occupational status (B=1.156), place of residence (B=1.004), Chinese-version PSS score (B=0.093), and subjective support dimension score of SSRS (B=-0.232) were independent influencing factors for the decision-making fatigue (all P<0.05). Conclusion Family caregivers of PSCI patients have an above average level of decision-making fatigue. Higher levels of decision-making fatigue are particularly associated with the following caregiver characteristics: advanced age, female gender, low educational level, limited understanding of PSCI, medium per-capita monthly household income, lack of stable occupation, rural residence, high perceived stress level, and low subjective support level. Medical staff should pay close attention to the above high-risk groups and use measures such as reducing perceived stress and improving subjective support experience to effectively alleviate decision-making fatigue and promote the physical and mental health as well as decision-making quality of family caregivers.

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