Differences between and within genders in caregiving strain: a comparison between caregivers of demented and non-caregivers of non-demented elderly people

Fifty-two caregivers for demented and 66 non-caregivers for non-demented elderly were investigated both within a gender and between genders. All participants were relatives and a burden questionnaire was used. The results showed that there was not always a difference between the caregivers for demented and the non-caregivers for non-demented elderly which may indicate that being a relative, even to a non-demented elderly, has obviously its own problems and importance. However, results showed more significant differences between female caregivers and female non-caregivers than between male caregivers and male non-caregivers, with females caring for a demented elderly suffering most strain. Their strain was exhibited by health problems, conflicts in the family, strained relations with family and others, a less positive outlook and limits in social support because of the caregiving situation. When investigating the group of male caregivers and male non-caregivers, it was found that males caring for a demented elderly person experienced a lack of positive outlook and a need for social support. The elderly person's residence in the group of caregivers for demented elderly people and in the group of non-caregivers for non-demented elderly people did not, however, appear to indicate any significant differences.     

Structural equation modeling of the relationship between caregiver psychosocial variables and functioning of individuals with stroke.

Purpose/Objective: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Informal caregivers are essential in the survival of most individuals with stroke and may even aid in their recovery. Yet caregivers experience high levels of burnout, depression, burden, and physical illness. Research Method/Design: With structural equation modeling and canonical correlation analysis, links were identified between caregiver psychosocial variables and specific aspects of the functioning of individuals with stroke in 135 care recipient-caregiver dyads. Results: Initial analyses uncovered a medium-sized correlation between caregiver variables and care recipients' functioning. Follow-up analyses pinpointed specific links between caregivers' sense of coherence and care recipients' basic engagement with life and between caregivers' levels of burden and depression and care recipients' cognitive deficits and depression. Conclusions/Implications: On the basis of these findings, the authors propose a feedback loop wherein caregivers' psychosocial functioning, their quality of caregiving, and stroke severity and recovery are causally interconnected. Findings are consistent with the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions for caregivers, which may improve caregivers' sense of coherence, reducing their levels of burden and depression and leading to improved informal care and better recovery from stroke. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decreased IGF-I gene expression during the apoptosis of Purkinje cells in pcd mice

The purpose of this study was to develop concepts that facilitate our understanding of why family caregivers of demented elderly persons can continue caregiving despite various difficulties of care. Twenty-six Japanese daughter or daughter-in-law caregivers of elderly parents with dementia who lived at home or in long-term care facilities were recruited through various senior service organizations in Japan. The caregivers underwent unstructured interviews, and the interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three categories emerged as reasons for care continuation: value of care, maintainers of value, and reinforcers of care continuation. Value of care came from societal norms and attachment, and was the basis of caregivers' motivation to continue care. Several maintainers of value and reinforcers of care continuation also emerged from the analysis. The contents and some longitudinal changes in these categories were explained. The findings highlight the need to assess these categories separately in order to develop appropriate interventions and they have implications for future research and policy development.     

Family caregiving in dementia: prediction of caregiver burden 12 months after relocation to group-living care

The strain of caregiving associated with the care of demented persons living at home often continues after relocation and group-living care units (GL), designed for a small number of subjects, have been developed. The aim was to prospectively describe caregiver burden in relationship to symptoms of patients with dementia after relocation to GL. Sixty-four caregivers and 64 demented patients were assessed before, 6 months after, and 12 months after relocation. Thirty-six caregivers were children, 7 were spouses, and 21 were others. Validated scales were used for caregiver burden and dementia symptoms. Total burden of caregivers decreased after 12 months, but the degree of isolation was unchanged and feeling of disappointment increased significantly. The burden was not related to changes of activities of daily life or disorientation. Patients' lack of vitality at relocation independently predicted caregiver's burden 1 year later. Hallucinations and changes of symptoms during the first year associated with less caregiver burden, probably due to greater detachment of the relationship. The caregiver burden remains 1 year after relocation and any support to the caregiver should consider patients' symptoms, especially lack of vitality.     

The role of neuroticism and mastery in spouse caregivers' assessment of and response to a contextual stressor

Data from more than 300 spousal caregivers and their care recipients were analyzed to demonstrate the effects of caregivers' personality attributes--neuroticism and mastery--on their assessment of a contextual stressor (the care recipient's behavioral and functional impairment) and on their experience of distress associated with that stressor. Caregivers who were high in neuroticism and/or low in mastery reported higher levels of behavioral and functional impairment in their disabled spouse and experienced more strain and depressive symptoms associated with caregiving relative to caregivers with lower neuroticism or higher mastery scores. We further showed that the widely reported association between caregiver-assessed impairment of the care recipient and caregiver outcomes can in part be explained by caregivers' personality attributes, such as neuroticism and mastery. Our findings that caregivers' personality variables are related to their assessment of a given objective stressor and their response to a given level of stress have implications for interventions targeting caregivers and for the use of caregivers as proxy informants.     

Family functioning and social support in the adaptation of caregivers of children with sickle cell syndromes

OBJECTIVE: To examine moderating effects of family functioning and social support on the relationship of child-related stressors to caregivers' psychological adaptation in a sample of caregivers of children with a chronic illness. METHOD: Participants were 67 caregivers of children and adolescents with sickle cell syndromes. We conducted MANOVAs and subsequent effect size calculations to determine if family functioning would buffer the effects of caring for difficult-to-manage children with this illness. RESULTS: Findings supported a moderator effect of family functioning on the association of children's externalizing behavioral problems to caregivers' symptoms of hostility. Greater levels of cohesive and adaptive family functioning buffered the potential detrimental effects of caring for children perceived as hard to manage. No significant associations were obtained between measures of caregivers' psychological adaptation and the severity of their children's disease. CONCLUSIONS: We make recommendations for family systems interventions, particularly for caregivers of children with behavior problems.     

Transitions in Caregivers' Use of Paid Home Help: Associations With Stress Appraisals and Well-Being.

This study examines the associations between transitions in paid home care and stress appraisals and psychological well-being of family caregivers of dementia relatives. The sample consisted of 264 caregivers who completed up to 3 interviews during 1 year. Longitudinal analyses (i.e., generalized estimating equations) showed that the onset of paid home care was associated with increases in feelings of worry and strain and a worsening in positive affect. Ending paid home care was strongly associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms, whereas sustained use of paid home care was related to reduced overload. Several possible mechanisms for the complex relationship of paid home care and family caregivers' stress appraisals and well-being are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caregiver depression after bereavement: Chronic stress isn't over when it's over.

Although the adverse mental health consequences of caregiving for a relative with a progressive dementia are well documented, little is known about caregivers' adaptation after bereavement. This longitudinal study examined changes in 3 groups: continuing caregivers, who had been caregiving across a 4-yr period (n?=?98), bereaved caregivers, whose impaired relative died between Years 1 and 4 (n?=?49), and controls (n?=?107). Although a mean of 19.8 mo had elapsed since bereavement by Year 4, bereaved and continuing caregivers did not differ on syndromal depression or depressive symptoms; both groups were significantly more depressed than controls. Time since bereavement was unrelated to depression or social support. Those caregivers who ruminated more about caregiving after bereavement reported more depression, greater stress, and greater social isolation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interbacterial binding among strains of pathogenic and commensal oral bacterial species

OBJECTIVE: Family resources and coping skills are important to adaptation to pediatric chronic illness. Psychological and educational interventions have been found to enhance the coping skills of children with juvenile rheumatic disease (JRD) and their families. We examined the efficacy of a 3-day family retreat as a multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment. METHODS: Children with JRD and their caregivers completed questionnaires assessing the children's behavioral and emotional functioning, pain, strain on caregivers' work and leisure activities, and caregivers' psychological distress before and 6 months after the family retreat. Principal caregivers were both parents for 16 children, mothers only for 10 children, and an aunt for 1 child. RESULTS: Improvements were found in children's emotional functioning, strain on caregivers' work, and strain on caregivers' leisure activities. Reductions in reported pain were not consistently revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Family retreats are an efficacious, multidisciplinary approach to helping families of children with JRD cope with the disease and its manifestations. Importantly, retreats offer a comprehensive intervention package that might not be available to families on an individual basis.     

Affective personality and the content of emotional social support: Coping in organizations.

This field study extended previous research by simultaneously examining the influence of affective personality on 4 dimensions of emotional social support and job burnout. Furthermore, the dimensions of emotional social support were examined as to their differential effects on the components of burnout. Results suggest that affective personality characteristics are associated with emotional social support as well as burnout dimensions. Results also indicate that some types of emotional social support appear to guard against burnout, whereas other types appear to contribute to the burnout experience. These findings suggest that types of emotional social support may have different personality antecedents and that distinct dimensions of social support have differential consequences in regard to burnout. Suggestions for future research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caregiver issues and AIDS orphans: perspectives from a social worker focus group

This study examines social workers' perceptions of the needs of families coping with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This research investigates the problems of family caregivers of children orphaned by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related death of their parents. A qualitative semistructured interview format was used in a focus group of 18 social workers. Four questions were designed to assess family needs and resources, as well as to evaluate the social workers' perspectives of governmental policies affecting these families. A list of four problems and two recommendations for change evolved from the focus group. Inadequate finances to house and care for the children was the primary cause for distress in these families. The major governmental policy that hindered the social workers' ability to assist families pertained to the low financial entitlement for caregivers who are related to the orphaned child. It was noted that unrelated caregivers receive substantially more money for the care of these children than family caregivers receive. Recommendations were made to change this policy and to develop guardianship laws that facilitate families' abilities to provide care to AIDS orphans. Family caregivers of AIDS orphans are bombarded with great demands and limited resources. This analysis of their situation from the social workers' perspective is a positive step toward the improvement of support services for these families. Further research should include individual qualitative interviews assessing the needs of the caregivers and AIDS orphans.     

Effectiveness of individual counseling by professional and peer helpers for family caregivers of the elderly.

This study of the effectiveness of individual counseling for daughters and daughters-in-law (N?=?87) who were the primary caregivers for frail elderly parents revealed that participants who received professional counseling demonstrated significantly better outcomes than a no-treatment control group in regard to subjective well-being, level of psychiatric symptomatology, and perceived change in aspects of the caregiver–care-receiver relationship. Participants who received peer counseling demonstrated similar gains but did not improve significantly more than did control subjects in subjective well-being. Both forms of counseling had no significant effect on caregivers' formal and informal social support networks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Secondary baby talk: Judgments by institutionalized elderly and their caregivers.

60 care receivers (aged 62–100 yrs) and 39 of their caregivers judged vocal nonverbal messages prepared from audiotapes of caregivers interacting with their co-workers and elderly nursing home residents. The relationship between these judgments and, respectively, the functional ability of the aged judges and the expectations of the elderly held by the caregivers were investigated. The stimulus tape judged consisted of 3 types of messages: caregivers' speech to care receivers in baby talk, caregivers' speech to care receivers not in baby talk, and speech to other caregivers assumed to be in normal adult speech. For the elderly judges, lower functional ability scores were associated with a greater liking for baby talk speech as compared to other speech, but no relationships were found for their judgments of "soothing" or "irritating." For caregivers, expectancy was associated with their predictions of residents' liking for baby talk speech and caregivers' endorsements that adult speech would not be effective for interacting with care receivers. Results suggest that variations in caregiver expectancy may operate through a common social stereotype of the elderly. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping, drinking motives, goal attainment expectancies and family models in relation to alcohol use among college students

Associations between coping responses, drinking motivations, expectations of meeting social and academic goals, and family of origin problem drinking and measures of college students' quantity/frequency of alcohol use and social complications of alcohol use were investigated in a sample of 218 college students. Positive associations were found between "emotion-focused" forms of coping such as detachment and the criterion measures, whereas "problem-focused coping" was not significantly associated with quantity/frequency of alcohol use or drinking complications. Positive correlations were also found between drinking motives, goal attainment expectancies and family models measures and the criterion measures. Regression models constructed for alcohol quantity/frequency and drinking complications implicated the total number of drinking motives, family models of problem drinking and the coping strategy of self-blame as strongly related to criterion measures. Positive social drinking motives and coping by seeking social support were implicated as possible protective factors.     

Construals of preillness relationship quality predict cardiovascular response in family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease victims.

Examined the relationships between family caregivers' construal of their pre-illness affection for and cohesiveness with an Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient and subsequent cardiovascular functioning. Scale validation demonstrated the psychometric properties. In a study conducted 2 yrs later, 31 family caregivers of AD victims performed stress-inducing tasks while cardiovascular activity was monitored. Path analyses revealed that caregivers relatively high in pre-illness affection for the AD patient were characterized by lower heart rate reactivity and resting diastolic blood pressure. In contrast, caregivers relatively high in pre-illness cohesion were characterized by higher resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These results suggest that caregivers' social relationships may play an important, although not always beneficial, role in cardiovascular regulation and health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moderating effect of social support on the stress–burnout relationship.

Assessed the extent of life and work stresses, the availability of social support, and experience of burnout through a self-report questionnaire administered to 357 female (mean age 32 yrs) and 273 male (mean age 39 yrs) Israeli managers and human service professionals. Analysis showed that female Ss experienced more burnout and stress in life than did male Ss; no difference was found between the sexes for stress in work. Burnout was positively correlated with stress and negatively correlated with social support in both life and work. Further analysis revealed different patterns of moderating effects of social support on the relationship between stress and burnout for males and females: The relationship between work stress and burnout was moderated by support in life for females and by support in work for males. It is concluded that special attention should be paid to cultural, occupational, and sex differences in social support research and the exploration of its buffering effect. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)