Open AccessThe emotional ramifications of unmet need in dementia caregiving
Author(s) -
Joseph E. Gaugler,
Keith Anderson,
Marc Leach,
Charles D. Smith,
Frederick A. Schmitt,
Marta S. Mendiondo
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of alzheimer's disease and other dementias
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.653
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1938-2731
pISSN - 1533-3175
DOI - 10.1177/153331750401900605
Subject(s) - psychosocial , institutionalisation , dementia , psychology , intervention (counseling) , distress , gerontology , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , disease , pathology
Using a unique measure of unmet need that taps into several dimensions of informal long-term care, the present study included data from 694 informal caregivers of persons suffering from dementia at different times in the caregiving career (e.g., at home, following institutionalization, following the death of the care recipient). Multivariate regression models found that unmet need for either confidante or formal support had key implications for caregivers’ emotional distress in each of the care situations. The findings suggest that conceptual models should incorporate unmet need as a viable predictor of caregiving outcomes and that assessment of unmet need may provide guidance in the development of more refined psychosocial and community-based intervention protocols.