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The Impact of Dementia Caregiving on Caregiver Cognitive Health

VanMeter, Adrianna J.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6667-7207
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1508854228522232

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
Providing care for individuals with dementia (IWD) is associated with significant burden and negative health outcomes. While it is well-documented that caregiving has negative effects on physical and psychological health, relatively few studies have examined the cognitive impact of caring for IWD. In the present study, we sought to expand existing literature on caregiver stress and burden into the domain of cognitive functioning. We hypothesized that caregivers for IWD would demonstrate worse cognitive functioning and report lower perceived cognitive ability. We also explored whether physical and psychological health outcomes were related to cognitive outcomes of caregivers and controls. Other potential correlates of caregiver cognitive health outcomes were also examined. As expected, caregivers performed worse than their non- caregiving peers in memory, but not psychomotor processing speed. Caregivers and non- caregivers did not differ in perceived cognitive ability. Consistent with prior research, caregivers generally reported worse physical and psychological health. Correlates of poorer cognitive outcomes for caregivers included higher anxiety, more sleep disturbance, higher caregiver burden and more distress about neuropsychiatric symptoms in IWD. These correlates may help to identify caregivers who are at greatest risk for negative outcomes so that interventions can be targeted to buffer the negative impact of caregiver stress. Limitations include small sample size and the non-representative nature of the sample.
Julie Suhr, PhD (Advisor)
84 p.
Clinical Psychology; Psychology
Dementia caregivers; caregiver stress; caregiver burden; cognition

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • VanMeter, A. J. (2017). The Impact of Dementia Caregiving on Caregiver Cognitive Health [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1508854228522232

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • VanMeter, Adrianna. The Impact of Dementia Caregiving on Caregiver Cognitive Health. 2017. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1508854228522232.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • VanMeter, Adrianna. "The Impact of Dementia Caregiving on Caregiver Cognitive Health." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1508854228522232

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1508854228522232
578
© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.