Informal caregivers provide valuable care for ill or disabled adults. Nevertheless, many caregivers experience negative consequences from caregiving such as reduced mental health. Balancing personal costs of caregiving with caregivers' desires or obligations to provide care, is necessary to promote the well-being of these individuals and their care recipients. Drawing on a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, caregivers whose psychological needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence are satisfied with their care recipient, and their care recipients' healthcare providers, should be more autonomously motivated to care. Greater autonomous motivation should promote better mental health. This study tested mediation models in a sample of 158 caregivers in the United States. Autonomous motivation was examined as a mediator of the (a) associations between caregivers' need satisfaction with their care recipient and caregiver burden and depressive symptoms, and (b) associations between caregivers' autonomy support received from their care recipients' healthcare providers and caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. Next, specific types of motivation that vary in their relative autonomy were examined as unique mediators. Support was found for models using autonomous motivation as the mediator. Additionally, caregivers' autonomy support and female caregivers' need satisfaction were positively associated with intrinsic motivation to care which was negatively associated with burden. Although much research suggests caregivers' outcomes stem from the care recipients' condition, such as their functional dependence on others, the present study focused on the caregivers' relationships and motivations. Results support an SDT perspective of caregiving.
Background
Rates of overweight and obesity are disproportionately high among youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Little is known about community mental health providers' delivery of weight loss interventions to this vulnerable population.
Objective
This study examined attitudinal predictors of their providers' intentions to deliver weight loss interventions to youth with SED using the theory of planned behaviour.
Design
This study used a cross‐sectional, single‐time‐point design to examine the relationship of the theory of planned behaviour constructs with behavioural intention.
Setting and Participants
Community mental health providers (n = 101) serving youth with SED in the United States completed online clinical practice and theory of planned behaviour surveys.
Main Variables Studied
We examined the relationship of direct attitude constructs (i.e., attitude towards the behaviour, social norms and perceived behavioural control), role beliefs and moral norms with behavioural intention. Analyses included a confirmatory factor analysis and two‐step linear regression.
Results
The structure of the model and the reliability of the questionnaire were supported. Direct attitude constructs, role beliefs and moral norms predicted behavioural intention to deliver weight loss interventions.
Discussion
While there is debate about the usefulness of the theory of planned behaviour, our results showed that traditional and newer attitudinal constructs appear to influence provider intentions to deliver weight loss interventions to youth with SED. Findings suggest preliminary strategies to increase provider intentions.
Public Contribution
This study was designed and the results were interpreted as part of a larger, community‐based participatory research effort that included input from youth, families, providers, administrators and researchers. Collaborative discussions with community mental health providers and administrators particularly contributed to the study question asked as well as interpretation of results.
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