Schröder, Janeke (2024) The Burden and Quality of Life of Dementia Caregivers: Exploring the Roles of Care Recipients’ Social Cognition, Memory, and Executive Functioning. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Dementia affects 55 million individuals globally, posing a major healthcare challenge. As the disease progresses, people with dementia (PwD) increasingly depend on external support, often requiring spouses or children to become informal caregivers. This role is time-consuming and stressful, leading to increased burden and reduced quality of life for caregivers. While various factors contributing to these adverse outcomes are known, the impact of cognitive decline in PwD on caregiver burden (CB) and caregivers' quality of life (CQoL) is still debated. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate the roles of PwD's social cognition, memory, and executive functioning in CB and CQoL. The sample comprised 48 PwD and their close ones. Measures included emotion recognition (Ekman 60 Faces Test), episodic memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test), and cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test) for PwDs, and self-report questionnaires assessing burden (Zarit Burden Interview) and quality of life (Quality of Life – Alzheimer’s Disease Scale) in caregivers. Multiple linear regression and analysis of variance revealed no significant relationship between the combined or isolated effects of PwDs' social cognition, memory, and executive functioning on CB and CQoL. However, a significant positive correlation was found between PwDs’ emotion recognition and CGs’ psychological well-being, a key component of CQoL. This emphasizes the importance of social reciprocity in early dementia caregiving. The study discusses theoretical and practical implications and suggests areas for further research.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Groen, Yvonne |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Jun 2024 11:32 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Jun 2024 11:32 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3430 |
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