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Variables modulating depression in dementia caregivers: a longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2011

R. Romero-Moreno ,
M. Márquez-González ,
B. T. Mausbach  and
A. Losada
R. Romero-Moreno*
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
M. Márquez-González
Affiliation:
Biological and Health Psychology Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
B. T. Mausbach
Affiliation:
Psychiatry Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
A. Losada
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Rosa Romero-Moreno, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid, Edificio Departamental II, Avda. de Atenas, s/n. 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. Phone: +34 914 888610. Email: rosa.romero@urjc.es.
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Abstract

Background: Dementia caregiving has been linked to negative consequences for mental health in caregivers. Although depression seems to be an enduring psychological consequence associated with caregiving, little is known about the longitudinal effects that modulating variables related to coping strategies have on caregiver's changes in depression over time. This study is aimed at investigating whether, in a one-year longitudinal study with 130 dementia caregivers, caregivers’ depression scores co-vary with modulating variables such as self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts, frequency of leisure activities, and cognitive reappraisal, after controlling for gender and caregivers’ stressors (frequency of disruptive behaviors).

Methods: Linear mixed models analysis was used to analyze the associations between time-varying values for caregivers’ stressors and modulating variables in predicting caregivers’ depression.

Results: It was found that increases in caregivers’ self-efficacy, frequency of leisure activities, and cognitive reappraisal significantly predicted decreases in caregivers’ depression over time, even after controlling for gender and frequency of disruptive behaviors. In addition, increases in stressors were significantly related to increases in depression over time.

Conclusions: The inclusion of modulating variables significantly contributed to the explanation of the variance in caregivers’ depression, adding explanatory power to the variables usually included in the stress and coping model (gender and stressors).

Keywords

family caregiversdistresspleasant activitiesself-efficacycognitive reappraisalcaregiving stresscoping and leisure
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 24 , Special Issue 8: Focus on late life depression , August 2012 , pp. 1316 - 1324
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2011

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