Caregiver Psychological Well-being Research Articles

Results of a Randomized Trial Testing the Efficacy of Tele-Savvy, an Online Synchronous/Asynchronous Psychoeducation Program for Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia.

Background and ObjectivesFamily caregivers will grow in number as dementia prevalence increases, underscoring the continued importance of equipping these individuals for their new roles and ameliorating the adverse effects of caregiving.Research Design and MethodsA three-armed, waitlist, randomized trial design tested Tele-Savvy, an online adaptation of a successful in-person psychoeducation program, the Savvy Caregiver. Tele-Savvy is delivered over 43 days to groups of 6–8 caregivers in 7 weekly synchronous sessions accompanied by 36 brief asynchronous video lessons. We enrolled 23 cohorts of 15 eligible caregivers (N = 261), randomized 2:2:1 to active, attention control, and usual care arms. We assessed caregiver psychological well-being and caregiving mastery at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Multilevel linear models assessed outcomes over the 3 time points examined. The trial was slightly truncated, with Data and Safety Monitoring Board approval, because of the apparent confounding psychological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions.ResultsStudy findings indicate statistically and clinically significant benefits to Tele-Savvy arm caregivers (with moderate to large effect sizes) in the areas of depression, perceived stress, reaction to care recipients’ behaviors, and enhancement of caregiver mastery. Expected benefits for caregiver burden and anxiety were not found.Discussion and ImplicationsFindings attest to program efficacy and the viability of employing distance means to improve family caregivers’ emotional well-being and sense of mastery in the caregiving role over a 6-month period. Next steps entail finding alternate ways to deliver the program to those with connectivity and/or time constraint problems.

Family Psychoeducation as an Intervention Tool in the Management of Schizophrenia and the Psychological Wellbeing of Caregivers.

Background:Caregivers need to be imparted with specialized skills to retain their psychological well-being and to manage the patient with schizophrenia effectively.Aim:This study aims to understand the role of family psychoeducation (FPE) in the management of schizophrenia and the well-being of caregiver.Materials and Methods:The sample included 40 caregivers and patients, 20 each assigned randomly in treatment group (psychoeducation given) and the control group. Pre and post assessment of psychological wellbeing (PWB), symptoms of the patient, and emotional regulation was done through the scales mentioned in the study and analyzed through analysis of variance.Results:Statistically significant improvement in emotional regulation of caregivers and patient (P = 0.05) and improvement of PWB in caregivers (P = 0.01) as well as significant reduction in symptoms of patients (P = 0.01) found in the treatment group.Conclusion:FPE was found to be effective in improving PWB of caregivers and effective management of a patient with schizophrenia.

The Association Between Spousal Caregiver Status and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults

Older adults often bear the responsibility of taking care of their spouses who have physical or cognitive impairments. Although previous studies suggested various caregiving-related negative experiences might be related to older spousal caregivers’ mental health status, the components of psychological well-being (PSW) among older spousal caregivers have not been fully explored. This study examined the association between spousal caregiver status and PSW. Data were drawn from wave 2014 of the Health and Retirement Study. The sample consisted of 3,857 adults who were above 50, and 376 of the participants provided care in activities in daily life (ADL) or instrumental activities in daily life (IADL) to their spouses/partners. Three hundred and thirty-one of them had a spouse/partner who needed care, but did not provide the care to their spouse/partner. The majority of participants, 3,150 of them, did not provide care, and their spouse/partner did not need care. Four domains of PSW were assessed: purpose of life, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Univariate analyses and multivariable linear regression were used for analyses. Spousal caregivers and non-caregivers with need had a worse PS status, compared to non-caregivers without need. But after adjusting for socio-economic resources, health status, or social support factor, the difference in their four domains of PSW was insignificant. Older spousal caregivers’ PSW could be protected by promoting that population’s socio-economic resources and health status. Future practice needs to address caregivers’ emotional need. Future research need to examine the long-term effect of caregiving on older spousal caregivers’ PSW.

Data From a Mindfulness Program for Family Caregivers to Persons With DD, and Application for Older Individuals

Parents who care for their children (young and adult) with developmental disabilities face many stressors and challenges. This paper reports on an intervention using mindfulness and cognitive reframing to improve psychological well-being of care-givers. We report on results based on 92 care-givers who participated in the program. An innovative component was utilizing parent care-givers along with trained peer facilitators. The program was conducted over six weeks, with three in person sessions, and three at home web-based sessions. The content emphasized mindfulness practice (meditation) along with cognitive reframing (aimed at boosting optimism) to address the stress family-caregivers experience in managing worry and the perceived lack of control that accompanies caring for children (young and adult) with developmental disabilities. Post-test data revealed increased awareness of stress coupled with greater competence in stress management. Given the life-long demands for care-giving of parents to the developmentally disabled, normative stressors of aging interact with stressors posed by care-giving demands. Implications for improving well-being of older parental care-givers will be discussed around the topics of (1) optimism and hope; (2) support of healthy behaviors; and (3) development of a mindset of gratitude.

Informal Caregivers' Roles in Dementia: The Impact on Their Quality of Life.

The constantly changing process of caring for a person with dementia affects the informal caregivers’ role due to its psychosocial impact. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the impact of the Person with Dementia informal caregiver’s role caregiver to a person with dementia on the self-perceived quality of life (QoL) of the caregiver. In total, 160 informal caregivers were recruited between January and December 2019. Informal caregivers’ quality of life was assessed using the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension scale, burden with the Zarit Burden Scale, emotional wellbeing using the General Health Questionnaire, and caregiver reactions using Caregiver Reaction Aspects. Patients’ cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination, their quality of life using Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease, and neuropsychiatric symptoms using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Outcomes were studied using the Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA test. Most informal caregivers’ outcomes were significantly associated with their quality of life. Male informal caregivers have a slightly better quality of life than female caregivers (p < 0.001). Caregiver burden (p < 0.001), psychological wellbeing (p < 0.001) and negative aspects of caregiving on health (p < 0.001) correlated moderately with informal caregivers’ quality of life. Factors associated with dementia, including the course of the illness and its severity with the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms can negatively affect the informal caregiver’s role and produce a low self-perception of quality of life; thus, social and professional support for informal caregivers is essential.

Caregiver Well-Being and Burden: Variations by Race/Ethnicity and Care Recipient Nativity Status.

Background and ObjectivesDespite growing diversity among the aging population and extensive previous research on racial/ethnic minority caregivers, little research has been conducted on the potentially unique experiences and outcomes of informal caregivers of foreign-born care recipients. Using nationally representative data and the Stress Process Model, the current study examined the differences in caregiver outcomes (care burden, psychological well-being, and self-rated health) by care recipient nativity status (U.S.-born vs. foreign-born) and the extent to which caregiver outcomes vary by care recipient nativity status and caregiver race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and Others).Research Design and MethodsThe current study used Round 5 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving (N = 1,436). We conducted ordinary least squares regression to analyze the differences in caregiver’s outcomes by care recipient nativity status and caregiver race/ethnicity and to investigate the impacts of the inclusion of caregiving factors (background factors, primary stressors, secondary stressors, and resources).ResultsRegression analyses showed that only care burden significantly varied by care recipient nativity status after controlling for covariates. Caregivers of foreign-born care recipients reported a higher burden. However, when interactions of care recipient nativity status × caregiver race/ethnicity were introduced, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic caregivers of foreign-born care recipients were more likely to report better psychological well-being and self-rated health compared to their counterparts. Across caregiver groups, better caregiver–care recipient relationship quality and less caregiver chronic conditions were associated with less burden and better caregiver psychological well-being and self-rated health.Discussion and ImplicationsCare recipient nativity status and caregiver race/ethnicity may have complex effects on caregiving experiences. Given the observed significant interaction effects for caregiver psychological well-being and self-rated health, cultural factors may affect the extent to which these caregivers appraise their caregiving. Future research should delve into the appropriate ways to assess care stress as well as resilience among each caregiver group. Our results indicate the need for research, education, and practice that assess cultural and within-group differences among caregivers and inform needed changes to structural barriers.

Disrupted sleep and associated factors in Australian dementia caregivers: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSleep disturbance is an issue reported by caregivers. Waking at night is a feature of dementia and by proxy, sleep disturbance among caregivers is reported to be high. Little is known about the characteristics of dementia caregivers’ sleep and the factors that may influence sleep disruption.The purpose of this study was to investigate the sleep characteristics and disturbances of Australian caregivers of a person living with dementia. In addition, it evaluated the psychological wellbeing of caregivers by evaluating associations between mood and sleep in this population.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlation design. Participants were recruited with the assistance of Alzheimer’s Australia, Dementia Australia and targeted social media advertising. In total, 104 adult, primary, informal caregivers of people with dementia participated, completing a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).ResultsIn this study, 76% of caregivers were female who had been caring for someone living with dementia on average for 4.8 years. 44% of participants had two or more co-morbidities namely cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and diabetes. 94% of participants were poor sleepers with 84% with difficulty initiating sleep and 72% reporting having difficulty maintaining sleep. Overall, psychological distress was common with high levels of moderate to severe depression, anxiety and stress. Global PSQI scores were significantly positively associated with depression and anxiety, with the strongest correlation seen with stress scores. Depression scores were also moderately associated with daytime dysfunction. Stress was identified as a significant predictor of overall sleep quality.ConclusionsSleep problems are common within the population of dementia caregivers. Due to the nature and duration of caregiving and the progression of dementia of the care recipient, there is the potential for a decline in the caregivers’ mental and physical health. Caregivers of those living with dementia are more likely to have comorbidities, depression, anxiety and stress. Sleep quality is correlated with emotional distress in dementia caregivers although the direction of this association is unclear. Therefore, sleep and psychological wellbeing may be intertwined, with improvements in one aspect resulting in a positive impact in the other.

Positive aspect of caregiving among primary informal dementia caregivers in Singapore.

BackgroundThe present study investigated the factor structure of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) scale among primary informal caregivers providing care to persons with dementia (PWD) in Singapore.Methods282 primary informal caregivers of PWD were recruited from the Institute of Mental Health, and Changi General Hospital and administered the 9-item PAC scale. A confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) was conducted to test the model fit of the 9-item PAC proposed by the scale developer and multiple linear regression was used to investigate the significant socio-demographic correlates.ResultsCFA showed that the 2-factor structure including ‘Self-Affirmation’ and ‘Outlook on Life’ had an acceptable model fit. After controlling for confounding variables, Malay caregivers were associated with higher scores on PAC and ‘Self-Affirmation’ compared to caregivers of other ethnicities. Caregivers with Secondary or below education level had higher PAC and ‘Outlook on Life’ scores. Caregivers who had received formal training scored higher in PAC, ‘Self-Affirmation’ and ‘Outlook on Life’.DiscussionThe present study confirmed that the 2-factor structure of the 9-item PAC was suitable for informal caregivers of PWD in Singapore. The findings have important implications for locally available interventions to enhance caregiver’s psychological well-being and reduce burden of care.

Perceived health, caregiver overload and perceived social support in family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's: Gender differences.

Perceived health in caregivers is related to caregiver burden, psychological well-being and social support. Women perceive poorer health and are more likely than men to experience caregiver overload. The objectives of this study were to analyse perceived health, perceived social support and caregiver overload in family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease, as well as to study the effect of the perceived social support as a mediating variable between perceived health and caregiver overload was also analysed, taking into account the caregivers' gender. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The sample consisted of 255 family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease in the Almería Health District (Spain). This study was conducted from January to December 2015. The caregivers' mean age was 55.35years (SD=12.35), with 85.5% (n=218) being women and 14.5% (n=37) being men. The following questionnaires were administered: Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire-28; the Caregiver Strain Index, measuring caregiver overload; and the Duke-UNC-11 functional social support questionnaire. Poor perceived health, high caregiver overload and high perceived social support were found. Differences in perceived health and perceived social support were significantly higher in women than in men. In women, perceived social support was a mediating variable between perceived health and family caregiver overload. This mediation was not observed in men. This study suggests that perceived social support influences the emotional well-being and the caregiver overload of family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's. However, its effect differs according to gender. It would, therefore, be necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the variables determining these differences in family caregivers.

HUBUNGAN ANTARA SELF EFFICACY DENGAN KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGIS CAREGIVER DALAM MERAWAT LANSIA SKIZOFRENIA DI RSJ Dr. RADJIMAN WEDIODININGRAT LAWANG MALANG

Background: The increasing number of elderly with schizophrenia in the world is growing rapidly. Abaout one from seven schizophrenic clients is older than 65 years old. Elderly with schizophrenia caused more complete problems related to diseases and aging process. The burden felt by the caregiver during caring for the patient will have an impact on the psychological well-being of the caregiver, indirectly will result in the low quality life of caregiver and the low quality of care provided to the patient. Objective: to determine the relationship between self efficacy and the psychological well-being of caregivers who taking care for elderly schizophrenia. Method: this study is a quantitative study with a cross sectional design. Samples were 88 respondets, taken by systematic random sampling according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analysis using correlation and chi square with a significance level of 95%. Results: result of the study showed that the majority of caregivers aged 26-45 years (adults) were 58 respondents (65.9%), female as many as 53 respondents (60.2%), had senior high school education levels as many as 37 respondents (42%) , income status less than Rp. 1,851,083 as many as 53 respondents (60.2%), relationship with patients was children as many as 52 respondents (59.1%). Conclusion: Self efficacy is very important for caregivers, with good efficacy will affect the readiness of caregivers to solved difficult situations that are stressful and stressful during treatment so that psychological well-being remains good even though the complexity of problems is faced while providing care for elderly schizophrenia.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords : self efficacy, caregiver, skizofrenia, elderly, psychological well being

Well-Being of Caregivers of Patients with Laryngeal Cancer Treated by Radiotherapy.

Introduction Laryngeal cancer is the second most common head and neck cancer, but no study to date reports exclusively on the well-being of the caregivers of patients with laryngeal cancer treated by radiotherapy. Objective The present prospective pilot study aims to describe the impact of the work on the well-being of the caregivers of patients with laryngeal cancer. Methods The caregivers of patients undergoing radiotherapy with curative intent for laryngeal cancer were included in the present study, and they were asked to fill out a specific questionnaire, while the patients filled out the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) following diagnosis but prior to treatment. Results A total of 50 caregivers were included, 20% of which were male, and 80%, female. In total, 62% ( n = 31) of the caregivers were spouses, while the remaining were daughters/sons ( n = 11; 22%), siblings ( n = 6; 12%), or they were classified as “other” ( n = 2; 4%). The female caregivers scored lower (worse) on the depression/worry domain, and this was statistically significant ( p = 0.047); they also reported a statistically significant higher negative impact on employment ( p = 0.011) compared with the male caregivers. In general, the caregivers of patients with late-stage tumors tended to report lower (worse) scores on all domains (except hospital contact) compared with the caregivers of patients with early-stage tumors. No other differences were observed regarding the patients' age, gender, tumor site or their HADS score. Conclusion The diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal cancer impacts the caregiver's psychological well-being, particularly that of female caregivers. This should be taken into consideration when the patients begin the hospital treatment pathway. However, larger studies are needed to target resources more appropriately.

Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers.

To test the effects of Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers (LEAF), a 6-week positive emotion regulation intervention, on outcomes of positive emotion, depression, anxiety, and physical health as measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®). A randomized controlled trial (N = 170) comparing LEAF (N = 86) to an emotion reporting/waitlist condition (N = 84) in dementia caregivers. LEAF was individually delivered online by trained facilitators. Participants in the control condition completed daily online emotion reports and then crossed over into the intervention condition after 6 weeks. The study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01825681) and funded by R01NR014435. Analyses of difference in change from baseline to 6 weeks demonstrated significantly greater decreases in PROMIS® depression (d = -.25; p = .02) and Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (NeuroQOL) anxiety (d = -.33; p < .01), as well as improvements in PROMIS® physical health (d = .24; p = .02) in the intervention condition compared to the emotion reporting/waitlist control. The intervention also showed greater improvements in positive emotion (d = .58; p < .01) and positive aspects of caregiving (d = .36; p < .01). Increases in positive emotion significantly mediated the effect of LEAF on depression over time. This randomized controlled trial of the online-facilitated positive emotion regulation intervention in dementia caregivers demonstrated small to medium effect sizes on caregiver well-being and shows promise for remotely delivered programs to improve psychological well-being in caregivers of people with dementia and other chronic illnesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Therapeutic massage to enhance family caregivers’ well-being in a rehabilitation hospital

Background and purposeA massage therapy program was implemented to address the psychological well-being of family caregivers to patients in a rehabilitation hospital. The impact of massage “dosage” on caregiver stress and psychological well-being was examined in this study. Participants’ perspectives on the program were also explored. Materials and methodsThirty-eight family caregivers were randomized to receive either one massage per week or three massages per week for two weeks. Caregivers reported psychological symptoms and stress pre- and post-program. Program acceptability was assessed via responses on an exit survey. ResultsOverall, 79% of massages were received (89% among program completers). Post-program symptom scores were lower than baseline scores for both groups (F (1, 31) = 8.74 - 24.50, P < 0.01). Exit surveys indicated high program acceptability and perceived benefits. ConclusionFindings suggest that massage services would be welcomed, utilized, and beneficial for improving the psychological well-being of family caregivers in a rehabilitation hospital.

Abstract TMP81: Long Term Well-Being in Informal Caregivers in Relation to Functional Dependency of Stroke Survivors - Observations From the Swedish Stroke Register

Background: Informal caregivers to stroke survivors provide a large amount of day-to-day assistance, which can put significant strain on their well-being. The aims of this study were to describe caregiver assistance, community support as well as long-term psychological well-being of caregivers in relation to degree of dependency of the stroke survivor. Method: Data on patients with stroke in 2011 and 2013 with a corresponding 3- and 5-year follow-up from both the stroke survivor and their informal caregiver (forming dyads) were obtained from the Swedish Stroke Register. Variables relating to caregiver assistance, community support and caregiver psychological well-being were analyzed. Psychological health was assessed using questions translated from the 36-item short-form health survey. Results: In total, 5063 dyads were included. The degree of survivor dependency was a strong predictor of poor psychological health in caregivers. Poor psychological well-being was present in 35.6% of caregivers of completely dependent survivors, 18.5% of the partially dependent and 9% of the independent. In a wide range of activities of daily living almost half of caregivers of completely dependent survivors provided assistance often or always. Moreover, 68% of informal caregivers to completely dependent patients were unable to leave the survivor alone for more than 3 hours and 89.6% had less time to pursue own interests. There was also a significant unmet need for caregiver support. Conclusion: Degree of survivor dependency was a strong predictor of poor caregiver psychological health. Survivor and caregiver health were closely interrelated and support needs to be provided to both groups.

Self-efficacy and social support for psychological well-being of family caregivers of care recipients with dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACTThe study identified factors associated with depressive symptoms in family caregivers of persons with dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease, or Parkinson’s disease dementia. An Internet-based survey generated 606 response sets. Regression analysis indicated that care recipients’ memory and behavioral problems, caregivers’ self-efficacy, grief, and tangible, emotional, and affectionate support were significantly associated with caregivers’ depressive symptoms. Self-efficacy mediated caregiver burden to improve psychological well-being. Social support mediated the association between caregiver grief and psychological well-being. Social workers can provide psychoeducational interventions to help caregivers to manage emotional distress and improve capacity to manage tasks related to the dementia.

Benefit finding for Chinese family caregivers of community-dwelling stroke survivors: A cross-sectional study.

To identify whether benefit finding is a mediator or moderator in the relationship between caregiver burden and psychological well-being (anxiety and depression) in Chinese family caregivers of community-dwelling stroke survivors. Family caregivers not only bear a heavy burden, a high level of anxiety and depression, but also experience benefit finding (positive effects result from stressful events). However, the relationships among benefit finding, caregiver burden and psychological well-being in Chinese family caregivers are not well known. This study was a cross-sectional correlational design. Caregivers (n=145) of stroke survivors were recruited from two communities in Zhengzhou, China. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires, examining caregiver burden, benefit finding and psychological well-being of caregivers. A hierarchical regression analysis explored whether caregiver burden and benefit finding were associated with anxiety and depression of caregivers. The moderator role of benefit finding was examined by testing the significance of the interaction between caregiver burden and benefit finding. A mediational model was used to test benefit finding as a mediator between caregiver burden and psychological well-being of caregivers using process in spss 21.0. Caregiver burden and benefit finding were significantly associated with both anxiety and depression of caregivers. Benefit finding did not portray a moderating role, but portrayed the mediator role in the relationship between caregiver burden, anxiety and depression in caregivers. This study provides the preliminary evidence to nurses that intervention focus on benefit finding may help improve the psychological well-being of caregivers. This study offers nurses rational for assessing caregiver's negative emotions and benefit finding. By targeting benefit finding, the nurse may guide caregivers in benefit identification and implement interventions to reduce anxiety, depression and caregiver burden.

Stress, Coping, and Lived Experiences among Caregivers of Cancer Patients on Palliative Care: A Mixed Method Research.

Aim:The aim of this study is to assess stress and coping among caregivers of cancer patients on palliative care and to acquire a deeper understanding of their lived experiences.Materials and Methods:A mixed method study was conducted among caregivers of cancer patients on palliative care using mixed method approach and triangulation design. Data were gathered using self-administered stress rating scale, brief COPE inventory, and structured interview schedule. Nested sampling technique was adopted. The sample size for quantitative approach was eighty and qualitative approach was eight.Results:The results showed that 74% of the participants were females and 30% of them belong to the age group between 51 and 60 years. Fifty-four percent of them belong to Hindu religion and 40% were unemployed. Sixty-two percent of the patients were dependent on caregivers for all activities of daily living. Assessment of stress revealed that 82% of the participants had moderate stress and 18% had severe stress. Participants adopted both negative and positive coping. There was a significant negative correlation (r = −0.722, P = 0.001) between stress and coping. Similar findings were also observed in the phenomenological approach. The theme evolved was “caring companionship to palliative care.”Conclusion:Palliative caregiving is stressfull, challenging and can impact the caregiver's physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Understanding lived experiences of caregivers of cancer patients on palliative care is important for the health professionals to improve the support, guidance, and education given to the caregivers of cancer patients on palliative care.

CAREGIVING WITH GRATEFULNESS: THE ROLE OF GRATITUDE IN COPING WITH DEMENTIA CAREGIVING

Taking care of a family member with dementia takes a heavy toll on the psychological well-being of caregivers. Nonetheless, a growing body of research has begun to examine gains and growth among caregivers, as well as the factors sustaining their noble pursuit. Positive psychology may have much to offer in this line of inquiry. Gratitude is widely perceived as a key factor to psychological well-being by different cultures and religions. Gratitude intervention has also been found to be one of the most robust categories of positive psychological interventions, especially for older adults. Hence, this study set forth to examine the role of dispositional gratitude in dementia caregiving under the resources-coping model. Using the structural equation modelling approach, we investigated the associations among dispositional gratitude, coping strategies, psychological resources and psychological distress in the context of dementia caregiving. Findings with 101 Chinese familial caregivers of persons with dementia (mean age = 57.6, range = 40–76; 82% women) showed that gratitude was associated with the greater use of emotion-focused coping (positive reframing, acceptance, humour, emotional social support seeking, religious coping) and psychological resources (caregiving competence and social support). Psychological resources and emotion-focused coping in turn explained the relationship between gratitude and lower levels of psychological distress (caregiving burden and depressive symptoms). The present results indicate the beneficial role of gratitude on coping with caregiving distress and provide empirical foundation for incorporating gratitude in future psychological interventions for caregivers. The potential of applying positive psychological constructs in supporting dementia caregivers will be discussed.

Personality and Creativity as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being in Caregivers of Person with Chronic Mental Illness

Well-being is a Dynamic concept that comprises Personal, Emotional, Social, Psychological, and Spiritual dimensions along with health related behaviors. The present research was conducted to find out whether Psychological well-being in Caregivers of Person with chronic mental Illness can be predicted by Personality Dispositions and Creativity. We assume that Psychological well-being is likely to be predicted by personality Dispositions. Low level of neuroticism, high levels of extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and creativity. 100 caregivers of Person with chronic mental Illness were selected through Purposive Sampling technique from the Private clinics and Private Psychiatric Hospitals. NEO Five Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992), Creative Behavior Inventory (Hocevar, 1979) and Psychological Well-being Scale (Ryff, 1995) were administered to the caregivers of Person with chronic mental Illness. The findings of our study revealed that Psychological Well-Being is predicted by high level of Extraversion and Conscientiousness and low level of Neuroticism after controlling the demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, weekly hours on caregiving & job). The findings of this study revealed that increasing extraversion and conscientiousness among Caregivers can eventually help in promoting Psychological well-being.

Positive Aspects of Caregiving Questionnaire.

The potential role of positive aspects of caregiving in enhancing caregivers' health is an important issue. The aim of this study was to develop and validate Positive Aspects of Caregiving Questionnaire (PACQ) in caregivers of patients with dementia in Iran. Content validation process was used to content valid development. Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated as reliability indices. We used exploratory factor analysis to extract potential latent factors and evaluate the factor structure of PACQ. We assess correlation between PACQ and caregiver burden for divergent validity. For convergent validity, correlation between PACQ and self-rated health was specified. Content validity indices (CVIs), internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were CVI > 0.80, α = 0.785, and ICC = 0.905, respectively. Moreover, item-total correlations confirmed good reliability of PACQ. Two factors were identified by factor analysis in this 10-item measure: patient and caregiver relationship and caregiver's psychological well-being. Divergent validity and convergent validity were established by high negative correlation between positive aspect of caregiving (PAC) and caregiver burden along with significant positive correlation between PAC and self-rated health, respectively. While Cronbach α for the entire scale was 0.785, Cronbach αs for both of the scale components were 0.71. The PACQ demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties of reliability and performs well in preliminary tests of validity as a measure of positive aspects of caregiving. This measure can be used to determine the outcome of interventional programs on positive, not only negative, aspect of caregiving.