Influence of dementia literacy and caregiving appraisal on the psychological wellbeing of informal caregivers of people with dementia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundDementia informal caregiving is a global phenomenon. It is well documented that caregivers' psychological health is often affected by busy caregiving schedules. Lawton's two-factor model indicates that caregivers' psychological wellbeing is influenced by caregiving appraisal and other caregiver factors. Our review also identified the significance of dementia literacy, which was an essential caregiver factor. However, it is imperative for a clear understanding of the mechanism of how psychological wellbeing is influenced by them.ObjectivesTo explore the association among dementia literacy, caregiving appraisal, and psychological wellbeing and the influencing mechanisms between them.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty-three informal caregivers of people with dementia were involved in this cross-sectional study. Dementia literacy was measured by the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale and Dementia Attitude Scale. Caregiving appraisal and psychological wellbeing were measured with the Caregiving Appraisal Scale and Ryff's Psychological wellbeing Scale, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of participants and key outcome variables. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation among the variables. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothetical mediating role of caregiving appraisal in the relationship between dementia literacy (i.e., knowledge of dementia and attitude toward dementia) and caregivers' psychological wellbeing.ResultsThe hypotheses were partially confirmed. Attitude toward dementia was significantly associated with caregiving appraisal (r = 0.312, p < 0.01) and psychological wellbeing (r = 0.311, p < 0.01). However, knowledge of dementia was only significantly associated with psychological wellbeing (r = 0.136, p < 0.05). The structural equation modeling fitted well (p = 0.078, CFI = 0.987, RMSEA = 0.038). In the fitted model, caregiving appraisal partially mediated the association between attitude toward dementia and psychological wellbeing. In contrast, attitude toward dementia and caregiving appraisal fully mediated the association between knowledge of dementia and psychological wellbeing.ConclusionEfforts can be exerted to improve dementia caregivers' caregiving appraisal and attitude toward dementia to improve their psychological wellbeing.

E-bibliotherapy for improving the psychological well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia: a randomized controlled trial protocol

“…This study aims to enhance the psychological well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia through an accessible, easy-to-use, and sustainable intervention that overcomes caregivers’ barriers to participating in psychosocial interventions. The e-bibliotherapy protocol is developed based on solid evidence, including a series of systematic reviews, surveys among informal caregivers of people with dementia, and a pilot study [ 6 , 12 , 17 , 19 , 35 ]. Our program aligns with the imperative of implementing interventions that address the critical problems among dementia caregivers identified by other publications, and the intervention components cover different emergent needs of caregivers [ 16 , 19 ].…”

“…Our survey of Chinese dementia caregivers revealed that their psychological well-being was unsatisfactory, characterized by low autonomy and low environmental mastery. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 72.1% of caregivers experiencing clinical or major depression, in addition to high levels of stress [ 12 ]. Another study found that approximately 80% of working dementia caregivers felt depressed or hopeless, and 60.8% reported poor or fair health status [ 13 ].…”

“…Moreover, although the effect size of caregiving appraisal was moderate, the effect size on psychological well-being was small in the pilot trial. Given that caregiving appraisal is the mechanism driving changes in psychological well-being [ 12 ], the small-scale pilot study might have been underpowered to detect a genuine effect on psychological well-being. To validate the effect size observed in the pilot study and establish the generalizability of the findings, a trial with a larger sample size is still required.…”

Association between Affiliate Stigma and Psychological Well-being among Caregivers of Patients with Dementia: A Quantitative Report

“…Eight negatively stated items were rated inversely. Total scores ranged from 18 to 108, with a predefined cut-off of low (18 to 53), moderate (54 to 89), and high (90 to 108) (Wang et al, 2022).…”

Cultural adaptation and evaluation of Namaste Care program for home-dwelling persons with dementia and their caregivers in China: a mixed-methods study protocol

“…Over 80% of caregivers experience stress, anxiety, and depression [13], with studies in Hong Kong indicating a burnout rate of 15.5% among them [14]. The continuous demands of caregiving, along with personal career and social sacri ces, severely impact caregivers' mental health and QoL [15]. China's cultural and societal factors intensify the challenges faced by home caregivers, leading to signi cant knowledge and support gaps compared to institutional care [10].…”