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Abstract
Objectives
Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias experience significant burden and adverse outcomes. Enhancing caregiver self-efficacy has the potential to mitigate these negative impacts, yet little is known about its relationship with other aspects of caregiving. This study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and outcomes; identified factors associated with self-efficacy; examined the mediating role of self-efficacy; and analyzed whether there were racial/ethnic differences.
Methods
Data from caregivers (N = 243) were collected from the Caring for the Caregiver Network study. Participants’ level of self-efficacy, depression, burden, and positive aspects of caregiving was assessed using validated measures.
Results
Two self-efficacy subscales predicted caregiver depression, burden, and positive aspects of caregiving. Being White, a spouse, or having a larger social network predicted lower self-efficacy for obtaining respite. Higher income and lower preparedness predicted lower self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts and responding to disruptive behaviors. Self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts mediated the relationship between preparedness and depression along with the relationship between preparedness and burden. Race/ethnicity did not improve model fit.
Conclusion
Self-efficacy plays an important role in caregiver outcomes. These findings indicate that strategies to improve caregiver self-efficacy should be an integral component of caregiver interventions.
Disclosure statement
The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions (e.g. containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants).