Making sense of caregiving for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS): the dimensional structure of sense making and relations with positive and negative adjustment.
BACKGROUND
Sense making is a meaning-making process that refers to the development of explanations for adversity. Despite a growing interest in this construct within the chronic illness literature, it has been neglected in research on carers.


OBJECTIVE
This study examines the dimensional structure of a multi-item measure of sense making in carers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and investigates relations between sense making and both positive and negative adjustment outcomes.


METHODS
Participants were 232 carers and their care recipients. Questionnaires were completed at first assessment (time 1) and 12 months later (time 2).


RESULTS
Factor analysis of the Carer Sense Making Scale (CSMS) revealed six psychometrically sound factors: catalyst for change, acceptance, spiritual perspective, incomprehensible, relationship ties, and causal attribution. Results of regression analyses indicated that the time 2 CSMS factors accounted for significant amounts of variance in each of the time 2 adjustment outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, anxiety, depression, care recipient adjustment ratings of carer) after controlling for time 1 adjustment and relevant demographic and illness variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings delineate the dimensional structure of sense making in caregiving and the differential links between sense-making dimensions and adjustment, and have implications for the measurement of sense making.
Pakenham
Kenneth I
KI
School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. kenp@psy.uq.edu.au
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D011793:Queensland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires