Cross-cultural study comparing the association of familism with burden and depressive symptoms in two samples of Hispanic dementia caregivers

Abstract

Familism has been pointed out as a key value in Hispanic culture that may or may not be associated with caregiver distress. Although groups included in the Hispanic identity have many common features, differences between Hispanic sub-groups in the relationship of familism with burden and depressive symptoms remain unexplored. The association of familism with burden and depressive symptomatology was examined in 48 Hispanic dementia caregivers from Los Angeles (CA, USA) and 60 from Madrid (Spain) through path analyses. Burden and depressive symptomatology were positively and significantly related in both samples. Familism was significantly correlated with lesser burden in the USA Hispanic caregiver sample, but with higher levels of depressive symptoms in the Spanish sample. Significant differences between Hispanic samples were found in the relationship between familism, burden, and depression, denoting the importance of specific cultural contexts influencing dementia caregiving in Hispanics.

Acknowledgements

Writing of this manuscript by the second author (G. R. Shurgot) was partly supported by the Office of Academic Affiliations, VA Special MIRECC Fellowship Program in Advanced Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Veterans Affairs. Data collection for the USA caregiver sample by the second author (G. R. Shurgot) was partly supported by a National Institute on Aging multidisciplinary training grant (T32 AG00037; V. Bengtson, Director).