Abstract
Objectives:This research documents spousal accounts of daily symptoms and behaviors of their husbands or wives with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and assesses how MCI-related symptoms and care needs are associated with spouse care partners' psychological well-being and biomarkers of physiological wear and tear. Method:Thirty spouse care partners participated in a 7-day diary study and reported on behavior problems associated with MCI as well as daily stressors and strains they experienced. They also provided saliva samples on 4 of the study days. Results:Multilevel models revealed daily variability and change in psychological affect and the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Daily primary stressors, everyday secondary strains, and marital interactions predicted these changes. Discussion:The findings document the negative physiological effects of having a spouse with MCI and provide new details on probable causes of psychological and biological distress. They shed light on MCI-specific interventions to address couples' needs before severe disease progression occurs that could interfere with spouses' ability to provide home-based care and support.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 653-664 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences |
Volume | 66 B |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2011 |
Keywords
- Cortisol
- Daily diaries
- Distress
- Mild cognitive impairment
- Stress process model
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Life-span and Life-course Studies