title: Self-efficacy for managing dementia may protect against burden and depression in Alzheimer's caregivers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-efficacy is the belief that one can perform a specific task or behaviour and is a modifiable attribute which has been shown to influence health behaviours. Few studies have examined the relationship between self-efficacy for dementia-related tasks and symptoms of burden and depression in caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty four patient/caregiver dyads with Alzheimer's disease were recruited through a memory clinic. Patient function, cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed together with caregiver burden, personality, depressive symptoms, coping strategies and self-efficacy for completing tasks related to dementia care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  33% (28) of caregivers reported significant depressive symptoms (CES-D  ≥  10). In multivariate analyses, caregiver burden was predicted by self-efficacy for symptom management, neuroticism, patient function and neuropsychiatric symptoms while caregiver depression was predicted by self-efficacy for symptom management, caregiver educational level, neuroticism, emotion-focused coping, dysfunctional coping and patient function. In patients with moderate to severe impairment (MMSE  ≤  20), self-efficacy for symptom management behaved as a mediator between patient neuropsychiatric symptoms and symptoms of burden and depression in caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further longitudinal investigation is warranted to determine if self-efficacy might be usefully considered a target in future interventional studies to alleviate symptoms of burden and depression in Alzheimer's caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. gallagherdamien@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Aine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ni Mhaolain
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Loretto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Coen
authors.forename: Cathal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Davis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coakley
authors.forename: J Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Conal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lawlor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy