The research literature has begun to demonstrate associations between personal strengths and enhanced psychosocial functioning of dementia caregivers, but these relationships have not been examined in the context of dementia caregivers in Latin America. The present study examined whether personal strengths, including resilience, optimism, and sense of coherence, were associated with mental and physical health related quality of life (HRQOL) in 130 dementia caregivers in Mexico and Argentina. Structural equation modeling found that the personal strengths collectively accounted for 58.4% of the variance in caregiver mental HRQOL, and resilience, sense of coherence, and optimism each had unique effects. In comparison, the personal strengths together accounted for 8.9% of the variance in caregiver physical HRQOL, and only sense of coherence yielded a unique effect. These results underscore the need to construct and disseminate empirically supported interventions based in part on important personal strengths, particularly sense of coherence, for this underrepresented group.

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This study examined whether healthier family dynamics were associated with higher personal strengths of resilience, sense of coherence, and optimism among dementia caregivers in Argentina. Caregivers are usually required to assist individuals with dementia, and family members have typically fulfilled that role. Personal strengths such as resilience, sense of coherence, and optimism have been shown to protect caregivers from some of the negative experiences of providing care, though the family-related variables associated with these personal strengths are largely unknown. Hierarchical multiple regressions investigated the extent to which family dynamics variables are associated with each of the caregiver personal strengths after controlling for demographic and caregiver characteristics. A sample of 105 caregivers from Argentina completed a set of questionnaires during a neurologist visit. Family dynamics explained 32% of the variance in resilience and 39% of the variance in sense of coherence. Greater family empathy and decreased family problems were uniquely associated with higher resilience. Greater communication and decreased family problems were uniquely associated with higher sense of coherence. Optimism was not found to be significantly associated with family dynamics. These results suggest that caregiver intervention research focused on the family may help improve caregiver personal strengths in Argentina and other Latin American countries.

Dementia CG interventions in Latino populations would likely benefit from addressing difficulties experienced when providing care for a prolonged period of time, as well as programming or techniques to improve family dynamics, especially family empathy and general functioning, given the strong reciprocal influence of these factors on CG quality of care.

The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the role of family dynamics and personal strengths in the mental health of dementia caregivers from Latin America. A sample of 110 dementia caregivers from Argentina completed measures of these constructs. It was hypothesized that personal strengths would mediate the relationship between family dynamics and caregiver mental health. An SEM uncovered that these constructs were all positively related, and a second SEM found extremely strong support for the study's hypothesis, as personal strengths fully mediated the relationship between family dynamics and caregiver mental health. A bivariate correlation matrix then notably found that the family dynamics variables were most associated with caregiver sense of coherence, resilience, anxiety, and satisfaction with life. The results of the current study suggest that caregiver interventions in Latin America may benefit from including family centered and cognitive-behavioral approaches as a means of boosting existing personal strengths, which in turn may have a positive effect on caregiver mental health.

Incorporating strengths-based approaches into research on caregiver interventions in regions where caregiving is a highly culturally valued role such as Latin America may have the potential to improve the mental health of dementia caregivers.

The purpose of this study was to create a path model linking cognitive functioning in individuals with dementia, caregiver burden and mental health, and quality of care provided for the individual with dementia in Argentina. One hundred and two dementia caregivers from San Lucas, Argentina completed questionnaires assessing these constructs. Regressions found that caregiver burden, depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with life explained 18.8% of the variance in quality of care-respect and 14.7% of the variance in quality of care-provide. A structural equation model with generally adequate fit indices uncovered that cognitive functioning in individuals with dementia was inversely associated with caregiver burden, caregiver burden was inversely associated with mental health, and mental health was positively associated with quality of care. Further, patient cognitive functioning yielded a significant indirect effect on caregiver mental health through caregiver burden, as did burden on quality of care through mental health. Despite this negative cascade, these relationships may also be reversed with the development and use of dementia caregiver interventions that improve caregiver burden and mental health and as a result, the quality of care for individuals with dementia in Latin America.

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