Longitudinal correlates of depressive symptoms and positive and negative affects in family caregivers of people with dementia

摘要: ObjectiveCaring for a relative with dementia is considered a chronically stressful role associated with negative consequences for psychological health such as higher levels of depression. However, the subjective experience of depressive symptomatology is complex as it relates to two unique domains: positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). The objective of this study was to analyze, through a longitudinal design, the associations of caregivers’ cognitive (avoidance coping, personal mastery, and coping self-efficacy) and behavioral (frequency of pleasant events) coping strategies with depressive symptoms, PA, and NA.MethodsA total of 111 caregivers of a spouse with dementia participated in this study. They were assessed yearly across 5 years. Mixed model regression analyses were conducted separately for depressive symptoms, PA, and NA, analyzing within and between-person associations of caregivers …