Predictors of Grief in Bereaved Family Caregivers of Person's With Alzheimer's Disease: A Prospective Study

Romero, Melissa; Ott, Carol H; Kelber, Sheryl T.

doi:10.1080/07481187.2013.809031

Cited by 48 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Higher levels of anxiety and depression during caregiving were associated with more adverse consequences post loss. This is consistent with reports in the literature indicating a relationship between caregiver distress and bereavement outcomes (Nielsen et al, 2016; Romero et al, 2014). As well, lower perceived daily living competencies and lower financial adequacy during caregiving were associated with more adverse bereavement outcomes (especially pertaining to managing a household).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…In other words, those who are more distressed are less likely to take actions necessary for them to become more prepared (Hebert et al, 2009). Furthermore, a high level of distress during caregiving often persists beyond the patient’s death and becomes a risk factor itself for adverse bereavement outcomes (Nielsen et al, 2016; Romero, Ott, & Kelber, 2014). …”

Section: Preloss Caregiver Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cancer Caregivers’ Preparedness for Loss and Bereavement Outcomes: Do Preloss Caregiver Attributes Matter?

et al. 2017

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Past studies examining the relationship between preparedness for loss and bereavement voutcomes among caregivers of spouses/partners with life-limiting illness did not adequately account for preloss caregiver attributes that could potentially confound the relationship. Using a sample of spouse/partner cancer caregivers (N = 226), we examined how preloss caregiver attributes were associated with how prepared one felt for loss, and their role in the relationship between preparedness and later bereavement outcomes. Nearly half reported they were not emotionally prepared, and 35% were not prepared for the practical challenges associated with the loss. Although attributes such as depression, anxiety, competence in daily activities, and financial adequacy were associated with both preparedness and bereavement outcomes, regression analyses revealed that preparedness remained the strongest predictor in all models. We suggest that early interventions enhancing caregivers’ preparedness for loss may hold considerable promise for improved bereavement outcome.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Preloss Caregiver Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Caregivers’ Preparedness for Loss and Bereavement Outcomes: Do Preloss Caregiver Attributes Matter?

et al. 2017

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“…Between 47% and 71% of family caregivers of people with dementia experience predeath grief (Chan et al, 2013). Higher pre-death grief is associated with complicated grief after death (Romero et al, 2014), so emotional support for grief during care rather than solely after the death may be beneficial (Schulz et al, 2003). Complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder refers to severe, longerterm, maladaptive forms of grief which may impact around one in ten bereaved persons and is considered a disorder requiring further research to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Prigerson et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is preparation for end of life associated with pre-death grief in caregivers of people with dementia?

Moore

Crawley

Vickerstaff

et al. 2020

Int. Psychogeriatr.

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ABSTRACTObjectives:Family caregivers of people with dementia can experience loss and grief before death. We hypothesized that modifiable factors indicating preparation for end of life are associated with lower pre-death grief in caregivers.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:Caregivers of people with dementia living at home or in a care home.Participants:In total, 150 caregivers, 77% female, mean age 63.0 (SD = 12.1). Participants cared for people with mild (25%), moderate (43%), or severe dementia (32%).Measurements:Primary outcome: Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory Short Form (MMCGI-SF). We included five factors reflecting preparation for end of life: (1) knowledge of dementia, (2) social support, (3) feeling supported by healthcare providers, (4) formalized end of life documents, and (5) end-of-life discussions with the person with dementia. We used multiple regression to assess associations between pre-death grief and preparation for end of life while controlling for confounders. We repeated this analysis with MMCGI-SF subscales (“personal sacrifice burden”; “heartfelt sadness”; “worry and felt isolation”).Results:Only one hypothesized factor (reduced social support) was strongly associated with higher grief intensity along with the confounders of female gender, spouse, or adult child relationship type and reduced relationship closeness. In exploratory analyses of MMCGI-SF subscales, one additional hypothesized factor was statistically significant; higher dementia knowledge was associated with lower “heartfelt sadness.”Conclusion:We found limited support for our hypothesis. Future research may benefit from exploring strategies for enhancing caregivers’ social support and networks as well as the effectiveness of educational interventions about the progression of dementia (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03332979).

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“…Examples of the first approach include negative self-evaluation such as thinking that the self is less worthy without the deceased and problematic coping strategies such as repetitive rumination of the deceased. The second group evaluates the traumatic loss circumstances and psychological states that can make the bereaved vulnerable to poor adaptation, all of which are often static at the time of loss and are harder to change [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Examples of the second approach range from traumatic death, lacking social support to the strong dependency on the deceased and an insecure attachment style.…”

Section: Two Approaches To Predict Pgd Symptoms In Early Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward the Development of a Monitoring and Feedback System for Predicting Poor Adjustment to Grief

She¹,

Burke²,

Neimyer³

et al. 2017

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM 2017

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Losing a loved one is a fundamental and ubiquitous life experience that is often characterized by a certain period of grief and emotional distress. Although the majority of the bereaved can cope with grief resiliently, around 1 of 10 individuals could experience an unusually protracted and intense response referred to as prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following death of a loved one. PGD is associated with work and social impairment and heightened risk of severe medical and psychological conditions. Current means of diagnosis requires a minimum of 6 months to confirm and identify PGD and is discrepant with the fact that the bereaved may need psychotherapeutic intervention in a more timely manner. Contemporary studies have outlined prospective risk factors that could cause poor bereavement outcome, which can potentially contribute to early identification and prevention of problematic response to grief. Self-monitoring applications have been developed and broadly implemented in a vast spectrum of mental and health-related interventions and self-managing processes. This study presents the conceptualization and development of an Internet-based screening method designed by the researchers and psychotherapists that aims to provide meaningful and quantitative feedback in the early phase of the grief and to support decision making in the bereavement process through monitoring the susceptibility to problematic grief outcome.

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Predictors of Grief in Bereaved Family Caregivers of Person's With Alzheimer's Disease: A Prospective Study

Cited by 48 publications

References 38 publications

Cancer Caregivers’ Preparedness for Loss and Bereavement Outcomes: Do Preloss Caregiver Attributes Matter?

Cancer Caregivers’ Preparedness for Loss and Bereavement Outcomes: Do Preloss Caregiver Attributes Matter?

Is preparation for end of life associated with pre-death grief in caregivers of people with dementia?

Toward the Development of a Monitoring and Feedback System for Predicting Poor Adjustment to Grief

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