The effects of dementing and nondementing illnesses on long -term marriages
Abstract
This study examined marital satisfaction, loneliness, perceived social support, and psychological distress in 30 caregivers of institutionalized dementia patients, 30 caregivers of community-dwelling dementia patients, 30 caregivers of nondementing-Parkinson's disease patients, and 30 controls. All participants completed the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire for Older Persons, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Participants in the three caregiving groups also completed the Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist and a series of open-ended questions. All caregivers reported lower levels of marital satisfaction than did the control group (p < .001). The dementia caregivers reported lower levels of current marital satisfaction and a greater decrease in marital satisfaction since illness onset than did the Parkinson's caregivers (p < .01). Disease status of the care-recipient explained the most variance in marital satisfaction (r2 = .42). Dementia caregivers reported more loneliness (p < .05) and depression (p < .01), than did the Parkinson's caregivers and control participants. There were no differences in levels of perceived social support among any of the 4 groups.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Swensen, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Social psychology|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
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