Impact of Caregiving Experiences & Sociocultural Determinants on Cognitive/Emotional Functioning in Black Informal Dementia Caregivers

Dementia is commonly referred to as "silent epidemic," with informal caregiving as primary support. Current study examined the impact of sociocultural caregiving experiences on cognitive/emotional functioning among Black informal dementia caregivers in the United States.

A cross-sectional survey study was utilized with 181 participants recruited via Prolific who completed self-report measures. Bivariate Pearson correlations, partial correlations, and ANOVAs were conducted.

Greater caregiver identity centrality was associated with higher anxiety symptoms. Higher acquired non-death interpersonal loss was linked to greater perceived impairment in cognitive/emotional functioning, whereas stronger spirituality correlated with lower perceived impairment. Daily discrimination endorsement was associated with higher anxiety symptoms. Post-hoc analyses showed that individuals with care recipients in external settings reported lower anxiety and depression symptoms and non-death interpersonal loss than those co-inhabiting.

The shift toward caregiver identity and the experience of non-death interpersonal loss represent important factors related to cognitive/emotional functioning. Spiritual beliefs had a protective role against adverse changes, while everyday discrimination increased anxiety symptoms, attributed to threat detection and challenges in navigating the healthcare system. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that placing a dementia care recipient in an external setting reduced mood dysfunction.

Findings inform evidence-based and culturally responsive recommendations fostering resilience among Black informal dementia caregivers.