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Self-control skillfulness and caregiver burden among help-seeking elders
1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University.
Journal of Gerontology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Caregivers with better self-control skills experience less burden and fewer psychiatric symptoms. These skills help manage stress and improve adaptation in the caregiving role.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Caregiver Support
Background:
- Caregiving for cognitively impaired spouses presents chronic stress.
- Self-control skills are crucial for managing behavior and emotional responses.
- Understanding factors influencing caregiver adaptation is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between caregivers' self-control skillfulness and role-specific burden.
- To identify if self-control moderates the impact of caregiving stress.
Main Methods:
- Forty-four caregivers of cognitively impaired spouses were assessed.
- Data collected included demographics, psychiatric symptoms, caregiver burden, and self-control skillfulness.
- Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed.
Main Results:
- Highly skillful caregivers reported significantly lower burden and fewer care recipient problems.
- Self-control skillfulness was independently associated with reduced caregiver burden.
- This association remained significant after controlling for covariates.
Conclusions:
- Self-control skills are a key factor in caregiver adaptation.
- Developing self-control may mitigate the negative effects of caregiving stress.
- These findings highlight potential targets for caregiver interventions.