Term of Award

Spring 2023

Degree Name

Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Nicolette Rickert

Committee Member 1

Rebecca Ryan

Committee Member 2

Lawrence Locker

Abstract

Tasked with immense responsibility, many care partners (i.e., someone who assists in care activities alongside an individual in need of assistance in a non-professional manner) experience a decrease in mental health (Alzheimer’s Association, 2023). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the experiences and duties of care partners, as well as care partner mental health. This study consisted of five care partner assessment scales utilizing a survey administered to participants, each of whom acted as a care partner for an individual with a diagnosis of a type of dementia. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted in order to examine how care partner experiences would predict care partner mental health, and whether intensity of care duties would moderate this connection. The results of this study revealed that, while care partner experiences were predictive of and correlated with care partner distress, it was found that care partner burnout, anxiety, and depression were not predicted by the experiences of care partners. Moreover, the intensity of care duties did not predict the mental health outcomes for care partners. Future directions are discussed for research focused on the mental and emotional states and needs of care partners.

OCLC Number

1408421368

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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