Better perceptions of relationship quality by people with dementia predicts higher carer resilience

Caring for people with dementia can be very challenging for family carers as it is associated with experiencing high levels of stress. Providing long hours of care increases levels of caregiver burden for families and can negatively influence the caregiving relationship.

The longitudinal study, published in The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, investigated whether the quality of the caregiving relationship, an important interpersonal variable, can influence carers’ resilience over time. 

Data from this study showed that higher ratings of relationship quality by people with dementia predicted higher carer resilience over time. People with dementia viewing the caregiving relationship positively, acted as a mediator to lower levels of carer distress specific to neuropsychiatric symptoms.

These findings are important as they indicate that carer resilience is longitudinally associated with better outcomes for people with dementia and family carers. They suggest that direct support for families to maintain a caring and positive relationship in the context of distressing situations can maintain carer resilience over time. 

Although prior studies in the literature have investigated the protective effect of good physical health and access to social support on carer resilience, no studies until now have examined the role of interpersonal factors and whether these influence carer resilience over time. 

Lead author Dr Phuong Leung (UCL Psychiatry) said “The quality of the caregiving relationship plays a vital role in dementia care. Our study shows that interventions specifically designed to enhance the quality of the caregiving relationship from the perspectives of people with dementia may be key in reducing carer distress and improving carer resilience over time.”  

Associate Professor, Dr Vasiliki Orgeta (UCL Psychiatry) added “Our findings contribute to current evidence by highlighting the effects of interpersonal factors on predicting carer mental health outcomes over time. We know that tailoring future interventions to support carer resilience by specifically strengthening the caregiving relationship may help protect families and people with dementia from adverse outcomes”. 
 
This study was conducted as part of the individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) trial which was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme.

•    Read the full article in The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 
•    Dr Phuong Leung's academic profile
•    Dr Vasiliki Orgeta's academic profile
•    individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST)
•    UCL Division of Psychiatry
•    UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences