The Self-Forgiveness Process of Caregivers After the Death of Care-Receivers Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease

ABSTRACT

This study explores the relationship of self-forgiveness and adaptive coping, religious/spiritual practices, social support, decreased grief, and mental well-being. 133 caregivers were surveyed. Bivariate analysis and stepwise regression models revealed that decreased grief, adaptive coping, and social support were significant in explaining the variation in self-forgiveness. This is one of the first studies to address self-forgiveness as part of the grieving process of Alzheimer's caregivers. Future directions are explored supporting inclusion of self-forgiveness as an aspect of grief and adaptive coping; which is further enhanced by the level of social support experienced by the caregiver.

KEYWORDS:

• Alzheimer's disease and caregivers
• caregiving
• self-forgiveness
• grief
• social support
• adaptive coping

Notes

^aCorrelation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed test).

^bCorrelation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed test).

* p < .01 (2-tailed test).