title: Personal Strengths and Health Related Quality of Life in Dementia Caregivers from Latin America.
abstract: The research literature has begun to demonstrate associations between personal strengths and enhanced psychosocial functioning of dementia caregivers, but these relationships have not been examined in the context of dementia caregivers in Latin America. The present study examined whether personal strengths, including resilience, optimism, and sense of coherence, were associated with mental and physical health related quality of life (HRQOL) in 130 dementia caregivers in Mexico and Argentina. Structural equation modeling found that the personal strengths collectively accounted for 58.4% of the variance in caregiver mental HRQOL, and resilience, sense of coherence, and optimism each had unique effects. In comparison, the personal strengths together accounted for 8.9% of the variance in caregiver physical HRQOL, and only sense of coherence yielded a unique effect. These results underscore the need to construct and disseminate empirically supported interventions based in part on important personal strengths, particularly sense of coherence, for this underrepresented group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Instituto San Lucas, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvina Victoria
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Instituto San Lucas, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Miriam E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Stolfi
authors.affiliation: Instituto San Lucas, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.affiliation: CETYS University, Mexicali, Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia Aracely
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Peña Obeso
authors.affiliation: IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Arango-Lasprilla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult