title: Caring and coping: the dementia caregivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease is associated with increased burden and depression. Effective coping with the hardships and demands of caring may help to sustain the caregiver and lessen the effect of the stressors. The objective of this study was to examine caregivers' coping styles and the relationship with reported levels of burden and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional correlation study was employed. One hundred and seventy-two caregivers of patients suffering from Alzheimer's type dementia participated in the study. All patients were recruited from neurology clinics. The Greek versions of four measuring instruments used were: the Memory and Behaviour Problem Checklist, the Burden Interview, the Centre for Epidemiological studies-Depression scale and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive coping is negatively correlated with burden (r = -0.20) and wishful thinking strategies were related positively (r = 0.16). The relation between depression and positive coping strategies is highly significant (p < 0.01), whereas for burden the relation is significant (p < 0.05). Regression analyses showed that positive coping strategies are the most powerful, both in terms of predicting depression levels, and also in terms of moderating the effect of burden on depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive coping approaches need to be developed by caregivers so as to continue their caring role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Nicosia, Cyprus, Greece. e.papastavrou@cut.ac.cy
authors.forename: Evridiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papastavrou
authors.forename: Haritini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsangari
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karayiannis
authors.forename: Savvas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papacostas
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Efstathiou
authors.forename: Panayiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sourtzi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003535:Cyprus; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires