The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the effects of behavioral problems and hardiness on the psychological distress of elderly spousal caregivers of partners with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The specific aims were to: (1) test the main effects of behavioral problems of the care-recipient and hardiness of the caregiver on psychological distress of elderly spousal caregivers of partners with ADRD; and (2) test the potential buffering effects of hardiness on the relationship between behavioral problems of elderly care-recipients with ADRD and psychological distress of their elderly spousal caregivers. The hypothesis was that hardiness of the caregiver buffers the effect of behavioral problems on psychological distress.
A volunteer sample of 44 elderly spousal caregivers caring for a partner diagnosed with ADRD who met the inclusion criteria of 60 years of age or older and provided primary care in the home was recruited. Methods of recruitment consisted of advertisements through support groups and newsletters of Alzheimer's associations, advertisements in community newspapers, and contacts with staff representatives of adult day care centers, senior centers, home health agencies, churches, and family physicians in West Virginia and Kentucky. The caregivers were interviewed in their homes or at a place convenient to them using the Behavioral Problem Checklist (BPC), the Personal Views Survey III (PVS III), the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), a Cantril ladder measuring quality of life, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D).
Multiple regression was used to test the potential buffering effect of hardiness. Separate regression models were run for each of the outcome variables (caregiver burden, quality of life, and depressive symptoms). Support was found for the hypothesis that hardiness of the caregiver buffers the effect of behavioral problems on caregiver burden and caregiver quality of life. Hardiness modified deleterious effects of behavioral problems of the care-recipient on their quality of life and their burden of caring for a spouse with ADRD. Hardiness had a main effect on depressive symptoms of elderly spousal caregivers of partners with ADRD. Hardy caregivers experienced fewer depressive symptoms regardless of the level of behavioral problems exhibited by the elderly care-recipient.
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