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Self-esteem, self-efficacy, and optimism as psychological resources among caregivers of people with dementia: findings from the IDEAL study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2019

Ruth A. Lamont Open the ORCID record for Ruth A. Lamont [Opens in a new window] ,
Catherine Quinn Open the ORCID record for Catherine Quinn [Opens in a new window] ,
Sharon M. Nelis Open the ORCID record for Sharon M. Nelis [Opens in a new window] ,
Anthony Martyr Open the ORCID record for Anthony Martyr [Opens in a new window] ,
Jennifer M. Rusted Open the ORCID record for Jennifer M. Rusted [Opens in a new window] ,
John V. Hindle Open the ORCID record for John V. Hindle [Opens in a new window] ,
Bryony Longdon ,
Linda Clare Open the ORCID record for Linda Clare [Opens in a new window]  and
on behalf of the IDEAL study team
Ruth A. Lamont*
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
Catherine Quinn
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK Centre of Applied Dementia Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
Sharon M. Nelis
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
Anthony Martyr
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
Jennifer M. Rusted
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
John V. Hindle
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
Bryony Longdon
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
Linda Clare
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK
on behalf of the IDEAL study team
Affiliation:
REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, UK Centre of Applied Dementia Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ruth A. Lamont, The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health (REACH), University of Exeter Medical School, St. Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK. Phone/Fax: 01392 726865. Email: r.lamont@exeter.ac.uk.
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Abstract

Objectives:

Being a family caregiver, and in particular giving care to someone with dementia, impacts mental and physical health and potentially reduces the ability of caregivers to “live well.” This paper examines whether three key psychological resources—self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem—are associated with better outcomes for caregivers of people with dementia.

Design and Participants:

Caregivers of 1,283 people with mild-to-moderate dementia in the Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) project responded to measures of self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem, and “living well” (quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being). Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association between psychological resources and “living well”.

Results:

Self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem were all independently associated with better capability to “live well” for caregivers. This association persisted when accounting for a number of potential confounding variables (age group, sex, and hours of caregiving per day).

Conclusions:

Low self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem might present a risk of poor outcomes for caregivers of people with dementia. These findings encourage us to consider how new or established interventions might increase the psychological resilience of caregivers.

Keywords

Quality of LifeLife SatisfactionWell-BeingLiving WellCarer
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 9: Issue Theme: Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Emotional Intelligence , September 2019 , pp. 1259 - 1266
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2019 

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