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Contextualizing Caregiver Burden in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Dyadic Perspective
Emily L Giannotto1, Christopher Hertzog2, Amy D Rodriguez1,3
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Relationship quality and sleep significantly impact the well-being of couples where one partner has mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Mutuality buffers caregiver burden, while sleep debt can worsen stress and depressive symptoms for both partners.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects individuals and their spousal caregivers.
- Daily lived experiences of MCI spousal dyads are understudied.
- Understanding dyadic well-being is crucial for effective support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine daily patterns of caregiver burden, affect, stress, mutuality, sleep, and cognition in MCI spousal dyads.
- To explore associations between dyad members' daily experiences.
- To identify moderators and mediators of well-being within these dyads.
Main Methods:
- 27 spousal dyads (54 individuals) with one partner diagnosed with MCI participated.
- Daily online diary entries were collected for 14 consecutive nights.
- Exploratory multilevel modeling analyzed self and informant reports on daily variables.
Main Results:
- Relationship mutuality moderated caregiver burden and depressive affect.
- Sleep debt was linked to contagion effects in depressive affect, stress, mutuality, and cognition.
- Daily fluctuations in well-being were associated between dyad members.
Conclusions:
- Multidimensional, dyadic, and daily assessments are vital for understanding the MCI caregiver experience.
- Mutuality and sleep are key factors influencing couple well-being in MCI.
- Future research requires larger, diverse samples for generalizability.
Keywords:
caregiver burdencaregivingcognitiondaily diarydepressive affectdyadic analysismild cognitive impairmentmutualitysleep qualitystressMore Related Videos
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