Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in spousal caregivers of people with dementia: An experience sampling study

• Published in: PloS one 2018-04, Vol.13 (4), p.e0194118-e0194118
• Main Authors: van Knippenberg, Rosalia J M, de Vugt, Marjolein E, Ponds, Rudolf W, Verhey, Frans R J, Myin-Germeys, Inez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Caregivers; Clinical trials; Coping; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Disturbances; Emotional factors; Emotions; Empowerment; Health aspects; Medical personnel-patient relations; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mental depression; Mental health; Methods; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Physical Sciences; Psychiatry; Reactivity; Risk factors; Sampling; Sampling methods; Social interactions; Social Sciences; Stress; Stress (Psychology); Stresses; Systematic review
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194118

Caregivers differ in their emotional response when facing difficult situations during the caregiving process. Individual differences in vulnerabilities and resources could play an exacerbating or buffering role in caregivers' reactivity to daily life stress. This study examines which caregiver characteristics modify emotional stress reactivity in dementia caregivers. Thirty caregivers collected momentary data, as based on the experience sampling methodology, to assess (1) appraised subjective stress related to events and minor disturbances in daily life, and (2) emotional reactivity to these daily life stressors, conceptualized as changes in negative affect. Caregiver characteristics (i.e. vulnerabilities and resources) were administered retrospectively. Caregivers who more frequently used the coping strategies 'seeking distraction', 'seeking social support', and 'fostering reassuring thoughts' experienced less emotional reactivity towards stressful daily events. A higher educational level and a higher sense of competence and mastery lowered emotional reactivity towards minor disturbances in daily life. No effects were found for age, gender, and hours of care and contact with the person with dementia. Caregiver resources can impact emotional reactivity to daily life stress. Interventions aimed at empowerment of caregiver resources, such as sense of competence, mastery, and coping, could help to reduce stress reactivity in dementia caregivers.