Psychological, Social, and Health Consequences of Caring for a Relative with Senile Dementia

Haley, William E.; Levine, Ellen G.; Brown, Sam; Berry, Jack W.; Hughes, Glenn H.

doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb04661.x

Cited by 305 publications

(169 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

156

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Compared to non-caregivers, caregivers make significantly more physician visits and use more prescribed medications(10). Schubert and colleagues(11)found that over a 6-month period, 24% of dementia caregivers had an emergency department visit or hospitalization, with depressed caregivers being at greatest risk.…”

Section: Objectivementioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Psychosocial Outcomes in Elderly Alzheimer Caregivers and Noncaregivers

Mausbach

Chattillion

Roepke

et al. 2013

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives To conduct ananalysis of the stress, coping, and mood consequences of Alzheimer’s caregiving. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Community-based study. Participants Sample included 125 Alzheimer’s caregivers and 60 demographically similar older adults with non-demented spouses (i.e., non-caregivers). Measurements We compared caregivers and non-caregivers on stress, coping, and mood outcomes. We also examined anti-depressant use within the caregiver sample. An emphasis was placed upon effect size differences, including Cohen’s d as well as more clinically meaningful effect sizes. Results Caregivers were significantly more likely to endorse depressive symptoms and to meet clinically significant cutoff for depression (40% for caregivers; 5% for non-caregivers). Approximately 25% of caregivers reported taking anti-depressant medication, although 69% of these continued to experience significant symptoms of depression. Caregivers also utilized fewer positive coping and greater negative coping strategies relative to non-caregivers. Conclusions The number of caregivers will increase dramatically over the next two decades, and caregivers will likely seek care from primary care providers. We provide an overview of the psychological issues facing caregivers so that effective screening and treatment may be recommended.

show abstract

Section: Objectivementioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Psychosocial Outcomes in Elderly Alzheimer Caregivers and Noncaregivers

Mausbach

Chattillion

Roepke

et al. 2013

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, caregivers report spending less time with other family members, giving up vacations, hobbies, or social activities, and getting less exercise than before caregiving (Alzheimer's Association and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2004;Clark & Bond, 2000). Others have found that dementia caregivers report greater disruption to social activities relative to non-caregivers (Haley, Levine, Brown, Berry, & Hughes, 1987) and caregivers of non-demented patients (Meller, 2001). Time spent in pleasurable activities is likely superseded by the considerable amount of time caregivers spend providing direct assistance to their care recipients (Ory, Hoffman, Yee, Tennstedt, & Schulz, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is depression in Alzheimer's caregivers really due to activity restriction? A preliminary mediational test of the Activity Restriction Model

Mausbach

Patterson

Grant

2008

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study is a preliminary examination of the Activity Restriction Model of depressive symptoms. A total of 16 elderly Alzheimer's caregivers and 9 non-caregivers completed measures of activity restriction and depressive symptoms. Mediation was tested using the Sobel test with bootstrapping procedures. Results indicated that caregivers experienced significant elevations in depressive symptoms and activity restriction relative to non-caregivers (p < .05). Activity restriction significantly mediated the relationship between caregiving status and depressive symptoms (z = 2.29, p = .031), accounting for 86% of this relationship. Behavioral interventions for depression might be particularly relevant for Alzheimer's caregivers to reduce activity restriction and, thus, depressive symptoms.

show abstract

“…For example, Sexton and Munro [39] reported that 30.4% of their sample of wives of COPD patients were no longer engaged in social activities because of the patients' illnesses. Haley and colleagues [40] found no differences in size of social support network or number of contacts with family between caregivers and controls. However, caregivers were significantly less satisfied with their social support than controls and had decreased activities with friends, fewer vacations, and lower church attendance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role Strains and Mood in Husbands of Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Test of the Stress Process Model

Bigatti¹,

Lydon²,

Brothers³

2008

TOFAMSJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spouses of patients experience role strains as a result of informal caregiving, which has been associated with mood in numerous research studies. However, most research is on female caregivers, and little is known about the experience of male spouses, or of the caregiving provided to fibromyalgia patients. The Stress Process Model was used to examine mediators and moderators of the relation between role strain and mood among 135 husbands of women with fibromyalgia. Results indicated that the more activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living performed by the husband, the greater the role strain. Role strain was associated with worse mood. A test of the Stress Process Model supported a partial mediation model, where social support and emotion-focused coping partially mediated the relation between role strain and mood. No evidence was found for a moderation model or for problem-focused coping as a mediator. Our research suggests significant impairment and caregiving needs among this patient population, which in turn relates to the mood of the husband who is also an informal caregiver. Our findings also support the Stress Process Model in explaining the complexity of caregiving effects. The results of the study suggest avenues for intervention for individuals strained by their partners' illness.Spouses of chronically ill individuals have poorer mental health than comparison groups and the general population [1,2]. Spouses may be affected because the illness may require informal caregiving, including assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs; such as toileting, dressing), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs; such as shopping), and taking over responsibilities that the patient can no longer perform (such as cleaning, cooking). These caregiving responsibilities may interfere with spouses' abilities to perform other roles, resulting in role strains.Role strains, experienced daily by most individuals, are defined as the difficulties felt by individuals who have multiple roles with accompanying obligations [3]. For caregivers, the additional responsibility of helping a patient with a health condition may divert much needed resources from the other roles currently fulfilled by the individual, causing role strain. Roles typically examined for strain include work, domestic environment, sexual relations, family relations, and social relations. Of the employed caregiving husbands in a national study of frail elderly, 32% reported working fewer hours, 28% indicated they rearranged their schedule, and 24% took time off without pay because of their wives' illness [4]. In the domestic environment, husbands report an increase in the amount of time spent on household chores as a direct result of their wives' illness or disability [5]. A chronic illness may affect the couple's sexual relations as well. For example, patients with a rheumatic disease listed pain or weakness, fatigue, and lack of interest as the top *Address correspondence to this author at the IUPUI, Department of P...

show abstract

Psychological, Social, and Health Consequences of Caring for a Relative with Senile Dementia

Cited by 305 publications

References 19 publications

A Comparison of Psychosocial Outcomes in Elderly Alzheimer Caregivers and Noncaregivers

A Comparison of Psychosocial Outcomes in Elderly Alzheimer Caregivers and Noncaregivers

Is depression in Alzheimer's caregivers really due to activity restriction? A preliminary mediational test of the Activity Restriction Model

Role Strains and Mood in Husbands of Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Test of the Stress Process Model

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About