This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire PubMed PubMed Citation

Emotional Health of Black and White Dementia Caregivers: A Contextual Examination

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute on Aging.

Address correspondence to Ishan C. Williams, University of Virginia School of Nursing, P.O. Box 800782, Charlottesville, VA 22903-0782. E-mail: icwilliams{at}virginia.edu

The aim of this study was to examine emotional health (e.g., depressive symptomatology) among 295 Black and 425 White dementia caregivers. I selected caregivers from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers' Health (REACH) data set. I used regression analysis to examine racial differences and the relationship between the contextual variables and depressive symptoms. Overall, age, size of social network, satisfaction with social activities, financial difficulty, positive aspects of caregiving, stressfulness appraisal, and health problems were related to depressive symptoms. Contextual factors were not homogeneous across race; the number of memory and behavior problems of the care recipient was associated with more reports of depressive symptoms among Black caregivers only. Results suggest the importance of examining various contexts surrounding the actual environment in which Black and White dementia caregivers provide care.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. W. Williams, C. S. Williams, S. Zimmerman, J. Munn, D. Dobbs, and P. D. Sloane Emotional and Physical Health of Informal Caregivers of Residents at the End of Life: The Role of Social Support J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., May 1, 2008; 63(3): S171 - S183. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]