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The Influence of Readiness to Change on the Effects of an Intervention for Dementia Caregivers

Yarry, Sarah J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1264135179

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Psychology.
Caring for a loved one with dementia has been linked to a host of negative mental and physical health problems. Many caregiver interventions have been developed to alleviate the negative effects of caregiving. There is little evidence, however, for the overall effectiveness of these interventions in improving outcomes. Furthermore, little information exists regarding reasons that caregivers benefit from existing interventions. Exploring characteristics, such as readiness to change, that might influence caregivers’ investment in an intervention can yield valuable information about how best to modify interventions to improve their effectiveness. The impact of readiness to change on caregiver outcomes following a six-session intervention was examined in the current study. Stage of change among caregivers (N = 74) was reliably measured using a newly designed self-report instrument. As hypothesized, the intervention was effective in improving caregivers’ self-efficacy; however, undergoing the intervention did not improve ratings of distress at care recipients’ behavior problems or subjective physical health ratings. Readiness to change showed no impact on outcomes among caregivers, although results did indicate a shift in stage of change between the two assessment points. Results generally support the existence of the readiness to change construct but call into question the clinical utility of applying it to caregiver interventions. More research is needed on how to tailor interventions to improve their effectiveness.
Todd McCallum (Committee Chair)
Grover Gilmore (Committee Member)
Julie Exline (Committee Member)
Amy Przeworski (Committee Member)
116 p.
Gerontology; Psychology
caregivers; readiness to change; stages of change; dementia; interventions

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yarry, S. J. (2010). The Influence of Readiness to Change on the Effects of an Intervention for Dementia Caregivers [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1264135179

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yarry, Sarah. The Influence of Readiness to Change on the Effects of an Intervention for Dementia Caregivers. 2010. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1264135179.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yarry, Sarah. "The Influence of Readiness to Change on the Effects of an Intervention for Dementia Caregivers." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1264135179

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1264135179
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This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.