Pre-onset relational investments and dementia caregiver wellbeing: Comparing theorizing from the investment model and the theory of resilience and relational load

ABSTRACT

Dementia alters relationships between family caregivers and their relatives living with dementia. Drawing from the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) and the investment model, this study assesses the influence of dementia caregivers’ pre-onset relational investments in these relationships (relationship maintenance and communal orientation) on their individual and relational wellbeing (depression, personal growth, love/closeness). Two mediating mechanisms (relational deprivation, ongoing relationship maintenance) were examined, and disease severity was tested as a moderator. Using surveys from 454 dementia family caregivers (majority adult child and spousal caregivers), analysis revealed that pre-onset relational investments generally support caregiver wellbeing through ongoing relationship maintenance as a mediator. Disease severity moderated these associations. Findings are discussed in light of TRRL and investment model theorizing.

KEYWORDS:

• Investment Model
• Theory of Resilience and Relational Load
• dementia family caregiver
• depression
• personal growth

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Dr. Jake Harwood and Dr. Maggie Pitts for their thoughtful feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Arizona, approval number STUDY00002177.

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request from the authors.

Notes

1 https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/survey-checker/fraud-detection/#PreventBallotBoxStuffing.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the University of Arizona Graduate and Professional Student Council Research and Project Grant which covered the participant incentives.