Family caregiver social problem-solving abilities and adjustment during the inital year of the caregiving role.

Abstract

The authors examined the relation of social problem-solving abilities to trajectories of adjustment of family caregivers in the initial year of their caregiving role. Persons who recently assumed the caregiver role for a family member with a recent-onset spinal cord injury completed measures of problem solving, depression, anxiety, and health during the inpatient rehabilitation program and at 3 other times throughout the year. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that negative problem orientation explained significant variation in the rates of change in caregiver depressive behavior, anxiety, and health complaints. Caregivers with a greater negative orientation were at risk to develop psychological and health problems at a significantly higher rate over the year. Implications for psychological interventions and health policy concerning the needs of family caregivers and their care recipients are discussed.

The effect of emotional intelligence training on employed nurses

“…The present results were in consistence with similar previous studies, which showed that emotional intelligence training could decrease anxiety (19,(25)(26)(27).…”

Family Caregivers of Women with Physical Disabilities

“…Individuals who have difficulty adjusting to the caregiver role may be unable to adequately assist a woman with a disability, and in turn jeopardize the health of the care recipient and contribute to the development of secondary complications. Prospective research has shown that caregivers who have ineffective problem solving abilities at the time a family member incurs a physical disability are more likely to experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, and ill health throughout the initial year of caregiving (Elliott, Shewchuk, & Richards, 2001). When a caregiver has difficulty solving problems of everyday life, the health of the care recipient may be at risk: Ineffective problem-solving abilities among caregivers have been significantly associated with higher depression and lower life satisfaction among persons with congestive heart failure (Kurylo, Elliott, DeVivo, & Dreer, 2004).…”

Family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury: Predicting caregivers at risk for probable depression.

“…Family caregivers of persons with SCI may experience a wide range of lifestyle and quality of life changes after assuming the role as primary caregiver (Boschen, Tonack, & Gargaro, 2005;Kolakowsky-Hayner & Kishore, 1999;Unalan et al, 2001). Although descriptive studies have found differences between family caregivers of persons with SCI and others who are not in caregiver roles (e.g., Weitzenkamp et al, 1997), prospective research has indicated that there is considerable variation in the caregiver experience, and much of this variance may be explained by behavioral and social mechanisms (Shewchuk, Richards, & Elliott, 1998).Consonant with the extant literature (Elliott & Parker, in press;Navaie-Waliser et al, 2002), caregivers who have problems with ill health and who have ineffective coping skills are likely to experience problems with depressive symptomatology over time as they assist a loved one with an SCI (Elliott, Shewchuk, & Richards, 2001;Shewchuk et al, 1998). Caregivers who report problems with depression are likely to have continued problems with depression for up to a year Shewchuk et al, 1998) and perhaps even longer in some cases (Kris et al, 2006).…”

“…Consonant with the extant literature (Elliott & Parker, in press;Navaie-Waliser et al, 2002), caregivers who have problems with ill health and who have ineffective coping skills are likely to experience problems with depressive symptomatology over time as they assist a loved one with an SCI (Elliott, Shewchuk, & Richards, 2001;Shewchuk et al, 1998). Caregivers who report problems with depression are likely to have continued problems with depression for up to a year Shewchuk et al, 1998) and perhaps even longer in some cases (Kris et al, 2006).…”