Caregiver religiosity and well-being in dealing with Alzheimer's dementia

To examine the relationship among religious participation, stress, and well-being, 84 caregivers of Alzheimer's patients and 81 control subjects completed the Religiosity Scale, Life-3, and Medical Outcomes Study well-being measures. Caregivers only completed the Relative's Stress Scale. No differences were found between groups in religious practices, although caregivers indicated higher levels of clergy-visiting than the others and control subjects indicated a greater met need for contact with the church or synagogue. In contrast, control subjects show higher levels of well-being, social functioning, and mental health than caregivers. In care-givers, significant relationships were found among several religiosity variables, stress, and well-being.