Nearly 10 million American women are caregivers of elders with dementia and may experience overwhelming stress that adversely affects their mental health. Interventions to teach them resourcefulness skills for managing stress can promote optimal mental health and facilitate continued caregiving. However, effectiveness of resourcefulness training (RT) cannot be examined until its need is established.
Purpose
This pilot trial with 138 women dementia caregivers examined the need for RT using subjective and objective data.
Methods
Data were collected before and after RT. Data analysis focused on baseline resourcefulness scores (higher scores = lower need), scores in relation to attrition, correlations among resourcefulness, stress, and depressive symptoms, and post-RT evaluation of need for RT.
Results
Baseline resourcefulness scores were normally distributed and showed 74% of the caregivers had a moderate to high need for RT. Reasons for attrition were unrelated to need for RT, however caregivers who dropped out had resourcefulness scores that averaged two points higher than those who remained in the study. Lower resourcefulness was associated greater stress (r=-.37, p<.001) and depressive symptoms (r=-.52, p<.001). Of the 63 caregivers who received RT, 82% (n=52) reported a felt need for RT; 94% (n=59) believed other caregivers need RT.
Conclusions
The results suggest a substantial need for resourcefulness training in women dementia caregivers and support moving forward to test RT effectiveness for reducing caregiver stress and depressive symptoms.
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