Quality of the caregiver--care recipient relationship: does it offset negative consequences of caregiving for family caregivers?
This study examined whether relationship quality mediates, moderates, or both mediates and moderates the associations between caregiving stressors (e.g., disability and behavioral problems) and negative consequences associated with caregiver well-being (overload, role captivity, and depression). Data on family (spouses and children) caregivers (n = 118) came from a longitudinal study of a representative sample of disabled older people and their primary caregivers. Relationship quality mediated the linkages between the presence of problem behaviors and the outcomes of role captivity and depression. That is, when problem behaviors were present, they related to higher levels of captivity and depression because quality of the relationship suffered. Relationship quality moderated the linkage between disability and overload. Specifically, for those with a higher quality of relationship, increased disability was related to higher levels of perceived overload.
Lawrence
R H
RH
Institute for Studies on Aging, New England Research Institutes, Watertown, Massachusetts 02172, USA. reneel@neri.org
Tennstedt
S L
SL
Assmann
S F
SF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D019455:Self Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological