title: Dyadic Analysis of Illness Perceptions Among Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Their Family Members.
abstract: To characterize illness perceptions among persons with mild cognitive impairment (PWMCI) and their family care partners, and to examine whether PWMCI's and their family care partners' illness perceptions were associated with their own, as well as the other member of the dyad's, emotional reactions to MCI.
  
  
  
  This cross-sectional study of PWMCI and their family care partners (n = 60 dyads) used patient and relative versions of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) to assess metacognitive and emotional features of illness perception in MCI along 5 dimensions of perceived: seriousness of potential consequences, personal controllability, timeline, fluctuation (cycling) of symptoms, and illness coherence (clear vs. confusing).
  
  
  
  As compared to family members, PWMCI perceived MCI to be less potentially serious and to be more within their personal control, but dyads otherwise shared similar perceptions of MCI. Among PWMCI, perceived seriousness of the potential consequences of MCI was the only dimension to be significantly correlated with emotional distress. For family members, increased MCI-related emotional distress was significantly associated with perceptions of MCI as potentially serious, permanent, or confusing. A dyadic analysis using APIM showed that MCI-related emotional distress, in both PWMCI and family members, was linked to the PWMCI's perception of the seriousness of MCI.
  
  
  
  MCI-related education and support should be tailored for both the PWMCI and family member audiences, while acknowledging interdependence of illness perceptions within family units. Tailored information and support will be critical in managing MCI going forward, as illness perceptions are likely key factors on which individuals will plan for the future or base medical decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Community Systems, University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, Pennsylvania. linglerj@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lingler
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terhorst
authors.affiliation: University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Community Systems, University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gentry
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lopez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Caregiving; Health beliefs; Illness representation; Preclinical dementia