Negative Caregiving Experiences Research Articles

Perceived social support and distress in carers of people with lung cancer: The serial mediation of resilience and positive aspects of caregiving.

To determine the mediating roles of resilience and positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) in the effect of perceived social support (PSS) on distress. This study, with a cross-sectional design, was conducted in a Chinese hospital. Instruments included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Chinese version Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Positive Aspects of Caregiving, and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21. Descriptive analysis and serial mediation analysis were conducted by SPSS 22.0. Data from 300 Chinese carers of people with lung cancer was used. The correlation analysis showed that PSS, resilience, and PAC were protective factors of distress. The mediation analysis revealed that resilience and PAC separately and serially mediated the effect of PSS on distress. Carers of people with lung cancer perceived positive and negative caregiving experiences simultaneously. PSS could alleviate distress by enhancing resilience and promoting PAC. Multicomponent interventions integrating PSS, resilience, and PAC should be designed to alleviate distress among Chinese carers of people with lung cancer.

Attitudes toward aging as a psychological resource among caregivers of persons living with dementia

Although there are a number of existing interventions to support caregivers in managing the behaviors and functioning of care recipients with dementia, less attention has focused on caring for caregivers and understanding how their characteristics may contribute to distress or wellbeing Positive psychological resources can promote health and well-being among caregivers and may also serve as protective factors that buffer negative caregiving experiences and minimize burden and stress. Informal dementia caregivers (N = 99, mean age = 54) answered survey questionnaires related to psychological resources (e.g., Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, Caregiver Self-efficacy for Managing Dementia, Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale) to explore the connection to their emotional health. After controlling for caregiver factors and care recipient factors, caregivers’ aging attitudes and caregiving self-efficacy were predictive of both caregivers’ positive and negative affect. Caregivers’ aging attitudes also directly affected their emotional health and indirectly influenced emotional health through self-efficacy for caregiving. Future caregiver outreach and education should highlight positive aspects of caregiving, provide accurate dementia information, and improve psychoeducation regarding typical/atypical aging experiences while dispelling negative age stereotypes, which may foster better adaptation and resilience to a dementia caregiver role and strengthen positive mental representations of dementia caregiving.

Family Caregivers' Experiences and Changes in Caregiving Tasks During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe family caregivers’ experiences and changes in caregiving tasks and approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using web-based strategies, 69 family caregivers of adults with chronic or disabling conditions were recruited and completed an online survey about positive and negative caregiving experiences, and ways in which caregiving has changed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (structured questions) and conventional content analysis (open-ended responses). Participants reported concerns about their loved one’s physical and mental health, the limited access to other caregiving sources, and the limited opportunities to maintain personal well-being. Caregiving tasks completed more than usual included providing emotional support, shopping for groceries and essentials, and contacting healthcare providers. Participants modified their caregiving approach by assuming added responsibilities, leveraging technology, and managing a new caregiving routine. Findings indicate that family caregivers experienced additional caregiving challenges and changed caregiving tasks considering the limited resources available.

Mental health and caregiving experiences of family carers supporting people with psychosis.

Family carers supporting an individual with psychosis often experience poorer mental health, however, little is known about specific risk factors among these carers. We investigated the associations between demographic, caregiving characteristics and mental health outcomes in family carers supporting an individual with psychosis and compared carers' outcomes with general population norms. We analysed baseline data from the COPe-support randomised controlled trial of online psychoeducation and peer support for adult carers supporting an individual with psychosis between 2018 and 2020. We collected carers' demographic and health outcome data, including wellbeing using Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS as primary outcome), quality of life using EQ-5D-5L and caregiving experience assessed with Experience of Caregiving Inventory. We tested associations between carers' demographic and caregiving characteristics for each outcome in turn and meta-analysed carers' WEMWBS and EQ-5D-5L with Health Survey England (HSE) general population data from 2016 and 2017, respectively. The 407 carers of people with psychosis had a mean WEMWBS score of 42.2 (s.d. 9.21) and their overall weighted pooled WEMWBS score was 7.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) -8.6 to -6.0, p < 0.01) lower than the HSE general population sample, indicating carers have poorer mental wellbeing by more than double the minimum clinically important difference of 3 points on WEMWBS. Among all caring relationships, partners had poorer wellbeing compared to parents with lower WEMWBS score (-6.8, -16.9 to 3.3, p = 0.03). Single carers had significantly poorer wellbeing (-3.6, -5.6 to -1.5, p < 0.01) and a more negative caregiving experience than those who were cohabiting. Spending more than 35 h per week caregiving increased carers' negative experience significantly (p = 0.01). Carers of people with psychosis have poorer mental health than non-carers. Partners, lone carers and those spending more than 35 h per week on caring were found to be most at risk of poor mental health. Based on the results, we advocate that the details of carers for individuals with psychosis should be added to the existing carers or severe mental illness registers at all general practitioner surgeries and for their wellbeing screened routinely. Future large-scale prospective studies are needed to develop a predictive model to determine risk factors, hence to aid early identification of carers' support needs. Such understandings are also useful to inform tailored intervention development.

An Examination of Positive and Negative Dementia Caregiving Experiences

ABSTRACT Objectives We examined associations among three measures of caregiver experiences (i.e., positive aspects of caring [PAC], caregiver burden, and mutuality) in 228 dyads involving persons with dementia (PWD) and their informal caregivers. The associations between predisposing, enabling, and need factors and each of these three measures of caregiver experiences were also examined. Methods We used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a psychosocial intervention aimed at preventing aggression in PWD. Associations among PAC, caregiver burden, and mutuality were examined. The Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization guided the selection of predisposing, enabling, and need components. Results Enabling characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, caregiver education and employment and PWD education) and most predisposing characteristics (e.g., caregiver age, PWD age, relationship type) were not associated with any caregiving experience measures. Need characteristics (e.g., levels of memory and functional impairment, behavioral problems, depression, pleasant events) were associated with the caregiving experience. Conclusions Bivariate correlations between PAC, caregiver burden, and mutuality were between −0.20 and −0.58. Predisposing, enabling, and need factors were differentially associated with outcomes, with need characteristics being most frequently associated with various aspects of caregiving. Clinical implications Assessment of both positive and negative aspects of caregiving is important. Particular attention to depression and interventions that improve depressive symptoms may increase PAC and mutuality and reduce caregiver burden.

Overcoming Ethical Challenges in Conducting Research Among Persons With Dementia

By 2060, the number of older adults with Alzhemier’s Disease or related dementias (ADRD) is expected to encompass approximately 13.9 million Americans. Recognizing this, the federal government has prioritized research on ADRD and their effect on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of persons with dementia (PWD). Such research is complicated by disease-associated decline in cognitive and functional capacity among PWDs which can impair participant ability to process and communicate information, potentially increasing their exposure to negative research-related experiences and compromising the accuracy and reliability of provided data. Nevertheless, as a key stakeholder group, PWD should have the right to participate in research on ADRD. This session will present a case study of ethical issues that emerged in an NIH-funded study utilizing mixed-methods to examine caregiving and care dyad relationships between PWD and their care partners over an 18-month follow-up period. Ethical issues examined will include: (1) PWD capacity to consent to research at baseline and (2) during follow-up visits, (3) Obtaining accurate and reliable data from persons with mild to moderate dementia, (4) Assessing PWD distress while engaging in data collection processes, and (5) Reporting of negative caregiving and life experiences, such as elder mistreatment. The discussion of these topics and presentation of lessons learned holds promise for improving research methodology in studies involving PWD and enabling researchers to increase the involvement of persons with mild to moderate dementia in research on ADRD.

Older Caregivers’ Positive and Negative Experiences With Caregiving

U.S. population growth is greatest amongst the oldest-old who are most likely to need temporary or permanent reliance on formal or informal care-giving. With co-survival of older spouses, and greater longevity, informal care-giving is increasingly provided by older adults for other older adults. Little is known about the positive and negative care-giving experiences of older informal caregivers. This observational study examines the relationship between the care-giving situation and the positive and negative perceptions of care-giving in caregivers age 65 and older. A survey of 108 older informal caregivers utilizes well-validated instruments to measure perceptions of two positive (positive self image, positive life) and two negative (stress, uncertainty) experiences due to care-giving. Regressions statistically assess the relationship between care-giving situations and these positive and negative perceptions. We find that while some care-giving situations, such as higher amounts of unpaid support, are related to positive care-giving experiences, others, such as care-giving a recipient with a greater number of ADL deficits, having more care-giving responsibilities, and having increased hours of work due to care-giving, are related to more negative experiences. Some situations, such as lower income and greater involvement in care-giving, are related to both positive and negative perceptions. Higher levels of emotional support were related to mixed positive and less negative perceptions of care-giving. Result indicate that healthcare system and community support is needed to provide opportunities for unpaid support and assistance with caregivers of recipients with a high number of ADL deficits and caregivers who have more care-giving responsibilities.

Gaining Longitudinal Accounts of Carers' Experiences Using IPA and Photograph Elicitation.

Fluctuations in positive and negative caregiving experiences remain only partially explained as the significant variability over time of potential predictive factors themselves is understudied. The current study aims to gain considerable insight into caregiving experiences and perceptions over time by using photovoice methodology to support semi-structured interviews. A case study, longitudinal design is taken with three female caregivers who provide detailed insight into their caregivers' experiences over a 12 month period. The interview transcripts were analyzed using IPA- Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This innovative combination of methods resulted in the emergence of three related themes which included consuming the role, feeling consumed by the role, and letting go of the role. The idiographic approach taken allowed both within case differences to be examined over time, and also between carer differences to be highlighted. Implications of illness type and its characteristics, and of attachment and relationship quality with the care recipient were seen in terms of how and when the caregivers moved between the themes identified. The use of others' support or respite care is examined vis-a vis caregiver's own beliefs, emotions, relationship attachment and motivations to care. Caregivers self-efficacy beliefs also shifted over time and were influential in caregiver experience as the care recipient condition or needs changed. No previous studies have found that negative caregiving consequences are, in part, under volitional control and yet our data on the underlying reasons for consuming caregiving or allowing themselves to consume, would suggest this may in part be true. This is important because it suggests that interventions to support caregivers should address relational and motivational factors more fully.

Parents' Experiences of Caring for Their Only Child With Mental Illness in China: A Qualitative Study.

The current study explored Chinese parents' experiences of caring for their only child with mental illness. Face-to-face interviews with semi-structured questions were conducted to learn about the care experiences of parents whose only child had mental illness. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit parents (n = 14) and thematic analysis was used. Five themes were identified: (1) Having Responsibility to Care for Children, (2) Feeling Guilt and Self-Blame, (3) Experiencing Loneliness and Helplessness, (4) Drained by Caregiving, and (5) Worrying About the Future. Parents who cared for their only child with mental illness experienced considerable emotional and physical challenges. Professionals and health care providers should recognize and understand the experiences of these parents to identity their needs and provide adequate support. Targeted support services and appropriate professional information should be developed and provided for parents to relieve them of negative caregiving experiences and improve their psychological and physical well-being. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(1), 29-37.].

Positive and negative experiences of caregiving in dementia: The role of sense of coherence.

Sense of coherence (SOC) is increasingly recognized as an important health determinant, particularly for mental health. Part of the evidence comes from informal caregivers in diverse clinical conditions. The extent to which SOC influences caregiving outcomes, however, is relatively under-researched in dementia, particularly regarding positive experiences. We analysed the association of SOC with dementia caregivers' subjective burden, psychological distress and positive aspects of care. This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the Lisbon study of Families of Persons with Dementia, involving a convenience sample of 99 primary caregivers of community-dwelling patients of neurology and psychiatry services. SOC was assessed with the Orientation for Life Scale. Measures of caregivers' outcomes were: the Zarit Burden Interview, the General Health Questionnaire for psychological distress and the Positive Aspects of Caregiving scale. Analyses controlled for demographics, caregiving arrangements, objective burden, social support, patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms and dementia stage. Lower SOC was associated with higher psychological distress (p = 0.001). No significant associations were found for subjective burden (p = 0.081) or positive aspects of caregiving (p = 0.688). Additional analyses showed that lower SOC was associated with less emotional support (p < 0.001) and past psychiatric illness (p = 0.044). These findings support previous research suggesting that SOC is protective for psychological distress, and extend evidence to the positive aspects of care in dementia. The cross-sectional design and small-scale convenience sampling preclude both causality presumptions and generalizability. SOC assessments may be useful to define subgroups of dementia caregivers at risk for anxiety and depression.

A study comparing the experiences of family and friends of young people with borderline personality disorder features with family and friends of young people with other serious illnesses and general population adults

BackgroundFamily and friends (‘carers’) of adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and carers of young people with other serious illnesses experience significant adversity but research on the experiences of caring for a young person with BPD features is sparse. This study aimed to: (i) describe the experiences of carers of young people with BPD features; (ii) compare them with published data assessing carers of young people with other serious illnesses and with adults from the general population.MethodsEighty-two carers (M age = 44.74, SD = 12.86) of 54 outpatient young people (M age = 18.76, SD = 3.02) who met 3 to 9 DSM-IV BPD criteria completed self-report measures on distress, experiences of caregiving, coping, and expressed emotion. Independent-samples t-tests were employed to compare scores with those reported by convenience comparison groups of general population adults or carers of young people with eating disorders, cancer, or psychosis.ResultsCarers of young people with BPD features reported significantly elevated levels of distress, negative caregiving experiences, and expressed emotion, as well as maladaptive coping strategies, compared with general population adults or carers of young people with other serious illnesses.ConclusionsCarers of young people with BPD features experience elevated levels of adversity compared with their peers in the general adult population. This adversity is similar to, or greater than, that reported by carers of young people with other severe illnesses. Research is needed to clarify factors underlying adverse caregiving experiences and to develop and evaluate interventions to support carers of young people with BPD features.Trial registrationProspectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12616000304437 on 08 March 2016, https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=369867.

Positive and negative experiences and life satisfaction among spousal caregivers for frail older adults in urban China: a parallel process model

Previous literature has suggested that negative and positive aspects of spousal caregiving co-exist. However, positive and negative experiences were often examined independently. This study aimed to empirically test a parallel process model of spousal caregiving. This cross-sectional survey of family caregiving involved 269 frail older adults living in Shanghai, China, in 2016. Quota sampling was conducted to find community-dwelling frail older adults with a primary caregiver. Path analysis was used to identify the relationship between negative and positive caregiving experiences and life satisfaction. We found two independent paths towards life satisfaction: (i) activities of daily living were negatively associated with burden, and burden was associated with lower life satisfaction; and (ii) spousal caregivers' self-reported health and financial state were positively associated with positive appraisal, and positive appraisal was associated with higher life satisfaction. Caregiving time contributed to both aspects of caregiving experiences. The covariance between caregiving burden and positive appraisals was not statistically significant. Spousal caregiving involves a parallel process. Negative and positive experiences are separate constructs and their associations with life satisfaction vary. We advocate for policy and interventions that promote positive views of caregiving that encourage caregivers to develop a high level of overall life satisfaction despite the hardships of their caregiving tasks.

Multi-family therapy for bulimia nervosa in adolescence: a pilot study in a community eating disorder service

ABSTRACT Multi-family therapy for Bulimia Nervosa (MFT-BN) was developed in response to the modest outcomes following both Family Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy for adolescents with BN. BN impacts individuals and their family members with high levels of carer stress. MFT-BN targets barriers to treatment including low motivation to change, hostility and criticism, negative affect alongside emotion dysregulation and common comorbidities. MFT-BN enhances treatment, providing a community of support and acquisition of emotional regulation and interpersonal skills. The study describes the clinical characteristics of the group of participants to whom MFT-BN is offered and presents the outcomes of families who have participated in it. Prior to MFT-BN, adolescents who received it were more likely to have self-harmed and had elevated levels of eating disordered cognitions than those who did not receive MFT-BN. Following MFT-BN, parents report decreases in the negative experiences of caregiving and in their own symptoms of anxiety. Adolescents report reductions in anxiety and depression alongside improvement in emotion regulation. Improvements in symptoms of eating disorders include reductions in eating disorder cognitions and modest reductions in binge and purge symptoms after 14 weeks of treatment. Adolescents who participated in MFT-BN were less likely to drop out of outpatient treatment.

The Paths to Negative and Positive Experiences of Informal Caregiving in Severe Mental Illness: A Study of Explanatory Models.

The experience of caregiving in severe mental illness is a valuable concept for research and clinical practice as it can provide access to the idiosyncratic assessment of negative and positive dimensions of informal caregiving, thus allowing the design of interventions focused on reducing risk factors and promoting protective factors. This study was aimed at testing explanatory models of negative and positive experiences of caregiving considering the role of the caregiver’s perceptions of difficulties, satisfaction, and coping. A convenience sample of 159 informal caregivers of patients with schizophrenia was used in this study. Different variables were considered: (1) perception of difficulties (Caregiver’s Assessment of Difficulties Index); (2) perception of satisfaction (Caregiver’s Assessment of Satisfaction Index); (3) perception of coping (Caregiver’s Assessment of Managing Index); and (4) the experience of caregiving (Experience of Caregiving Inventory). Using structural equation modeling, the results revealed the following: (1) the perception of difficulties and of satisfaction coexist; (2) the negative experiences of caregiving are predominantly explained by the perception of difficulties and of coping with stress; and (3) the positive experiences of caregiving are mainly explained by the perception of sources of intrapersonal satisfaction, while the perception of coping does not have robust predictive value.

Problem-Solving Based Intervention for Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Background: Caregiving for someone is a huge task for informal caregivers. The caregiving role is often challenging and overwhelming for them. Stress, burden, and depression have been frequently identified as the negative caregiving experiences. This systematic review synthesized the available evidence for the problem-based intervention provided for caregivers as there is little insight about the effects of problem-based intervention on caregivers. Objectives: To describe: 1) the design of problem-solving intervention; 2) the effects of problem-solving intervention for caregiver outcomes. Methods: This review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews which entail setting research questions, selecting relevant studies, charting the data and synthesizing the results. FPRISMA guidelines were adopted and several databases were searched including MEDLINE; EMBASE; web of science. This review contains literature from 2012 to 2019 on problem-solving-based intervention which intended to caregivers. Results: 41 publications representing 27 unique problem-based interventions. Problem-solving-based intervention has different extent effects on caregiver emotion status, burden and quality of life. Conclusions: Problem-solving intervention is promising in caregiver intervention which could reduce caregiver depression, anxiety and burden.

Understanding the experience of “burnout” in first-episode psychosis carers

BackgroundThe first onset of psychosis can exert a significant negative impact on the functioning and positive wellbeing of family carers. Carer reports of “burnout” have recently been recorded in early psychosis carers, though the literature is scarce detailing our understanding of how burnout relates to the primary experience of caregiving. The current study investigated reports of burnout and its relationship with beliefs about caregiving and wellbeing in a large group of early psychosis carers who were routinely assessed within an early intervention team. Methods and materialsUsing a cross-sectional design, 169 early psychosis carers completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory alongside measures of caregiving experiences, affect and wellbeing. ResultsThe mean illness length for patients with psychosis was 18 months. Their mean age was 24.4 years and most was male (65%). The majority of carer participants were parental caregivers and living with their relative with psychosis. Across the three key burnout dimensions, 58% of the sample reported high levels of emotional exhaustion; 31% endorsed high levels of depersonalization; and 43% reported low levels personal accomplishment. The most severe level of burnout, reflecting elevated rates across all three dimensions, was observed in 16% of the sample. Carer burnout was positively associated with negative caregiving experiences (i.e. burden), poor affect, and reduced levels of positive wellbeing and perception of being in good health. ConclusionsReports by early psychosis carers of exhaustion, feeling inadequate and expressing negativity towards the relative they care for is not uncommon and are closely associated with their overall negative appraisals of caregiving. The results underscore the importance of developing targeted interventions during the early phase, which are designed to reduce the development and entrenchment of burnout responses in carers, but to also mitigate its negative sequelae.

Trajectories of caregiver burden in families of adult cystic fibrosis patients.

This was a longitudinal analysis of survey data obtained from caregivers of adult CF patients participating in an early intervention palliative care trial. Caregivers completed the validated Brief Assessment Scale for Caregivers (BASC) repeatedly over a 28-month period. Mixed-effects modeling evaluated multivariate associations with positive and negative caregiver perceptions over time. Of the 54 caregivers, 47.9% were spouses. The mean age was 50.9 years (SD = 13.2); 72.2% were women; 75.9% were married; and 63.0% were employed. At baseline, the BASC revealed large variations in positive and negative perceptions of caregiving. Although average scores over time were unchanging, variation was greater across caregivers than within caregivers (0.49 vs. 0.27, respectively). At baseline, the positive impact of caregiving in the sample was higher than the negative impact. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients' baseline pulmonary function and their full-time employment status predicted caregiver burden over time. Caregivers of CF patients varied in their positive and negative caregiving experiences, although burden levels in individual caregivers were stable over time. When the disease was advanced, caregivers of CF patients experienced more overall burden but also more positive impact. This suggests that the role of caregivers may become more meaningful as disease severity worsens. In addition, full-time patient employment was associated with lower caregiver burden regardless of disease severity. This suggests that burden in CF caregivers may be predicted by financial strain or benefits conferred by patient employment. These associations require further investigation to determine whether highly burdened caregivers can be identified and assisted using tailored interventions.

The experience of informal caregivers of patients with motor neurone disease: A thematic synthesis.

A thematic synthesis of qualitative literature was conducted. AMED, Medline, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and PubMed were electronically searched from inception until September of 2015. Studies were eligible if they included qualitative literature reporting on firsthand experience of informal caregivers of patients with MND, were published in English, and contained verbatim quotations. Critical appraisal was undertaken using a 13-item consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) checklist. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 148 (50 male) current or previous informal caregivers of pwMND identified. Critical appraisal demonstrated that study design and reflexivity were underreported. The synthesis derived three themes: (1) loss of control, (2) inability to choose, and (3) isolation. The synthesis highlighted the factors that contribute to both positive and negative caregiving experiences. Through these experiences, such suggestions for service provision as improving communication with healthcare professionals and having a single point of contact emerged. However, the outcome of such suggestions on the experience of caregivers is beyond the scope of our synthesis, so that further research is required.

Approach-avoidance responses to infant facial expressions in nulliparous women: Associations with early experience and mood induction

Infant expressions are important signals for eliciting caregiving behaviors in parents. The present study sought to test if infant expressions affect adults’ behavioral response, taking into account the role of a mood induction and childhood caregiving experiences. A modified version of the Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) was employed to study nulliparous female university students’ implicit responses to infant faces with different expressions. Study 1 showed that sad, neutral and sleepy expressions elicit a tendency for avoidance, while no tendency for approach or avoidance was found for happy faces. Notably, differences between approach and avoidance response latencies for sad faces and participants’ negative caregiving experiences were positively correlated (r=0.30, p=0.04, Bonferroni corrected), indicating that individuals who experienced insensitive parental care show more bias toward sad infant faces. In Study 2, we manipulated participants' current mood (inducing sad and happy mood by asking to recall a happy or sad event of their recent life) before the AAT. Results showed that sad mood enhanced the bias toward sad faces that is buffered by positive mood induction. In conclusion, these findings indicate that implicit approach avoidance behaviors in females depend on the emotional expression of infant faces and are associated with childhood caregiving experiences and current mood.

Positive psychology outcome measures for family caregivers of people living with dementia: a systematic review.

Family caregivers of people living with dementia can have both positive and negative experiences of caregiving. Despite this, existing outcome measures predominately focus on negative aspects of caregiving such as burden and depression. This review aimed to evaluate the development and psychometric properties of existing positive psychology measures for family caregivers of people living with dementia to determine their potential utility in research and practice. A systematic review of positive psychology outcome measures for family caregivers of people with dementia was conducted. The databases searched were as follows: PsychINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed. Scale development papers were subject to a quality assessment to appraise psychometric properties. Twelve positive outcome measures and six validation papers of these scales were identified. The emerging constructs of self-efficacy, spirituality, resilience, rewards, gain, and meaning are in line with positive psychology theory. There are some robust positive measures in existence for family caregivers of people living with dementia. However, lack of reporting of the psychometric properties hindered the quality assessment of some outcome measures identified in this review. Future research should aim to include positive outcome measures in interventional research to facilitate a greater understanding of the positive aspects of caregiving and how these contribute to well-being.