The role of specific affects in the psychopathology of dementia family caregivers.

Abstract

Caregiving for a person with dementia is a highly emotional experience and can evoke numerous negative and positive affects. Not surprisingly, dementia caregivers are vulnerable to mood and anxiety disorders. In this study, 95 caregiver-person with dementia dyads had a 10-min, unrehearsed conversation about a relationship conflict in the laboratory between 2013 and 2019. After the conversation, caregivers reported the extent to which they experienced six negative and five positive affects during the conversation. Caregivers also completed self-report measures of their depression and anxiety symptoms. Analyses of caregivers' affect during the conversation revealed that greater sadness was correlated with higher depression, greater fear was correlated with higher anxiety, and greater anger and lower calm were each correlated with both higher depression and anxiety. In two multiple regressions that included the specific affect variables that were significantly correlated with caregiver depression or anxiety, respectively, we found that greater sadness and lower calm (but not anger) remained significantly associated with higher depression and lower calm (but not anger or fear) remained significantly associated with higher anxiety. Finally, when accounting for relevant caregiver demographic factors and person with dementia clinical characteristics, greater sadness and lower calm remained significantly associated with higher depression and lower calm remained significantly associated with higher anxiety. None of the associations between specific affects and depression or anxiety were moderated by caregiver sex or age. The specific affects found to be associated with psychopathology may help identify caregivers at heightened risk for mental health problems and inform selection of potential intervention targets. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).