Department of Clinical Psychology, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2012;16(6):683-8. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2011.651437. Epub 2012 Feb 24.
Positive aspects of the caregiving experience may buffer caregivers from the many negative psychological and physical consequences of caregiving. Understanding what factors relate to the recognition of positive aspects of caregiving is important for the enhancement of caregiver well-being. Self-efficacy is a potentially modifiable psychological construct that has been associated with positive thinking, improved control of negative affect, and enhanced motivation.
This study examined the relationship between positive aspects of caregiving and self-efficacy among 57 family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. Participant data was gathered through individual interviews conducted as a part of a larger randomized controlled trial of a caregiver intervention.
We found that self-efficacy accounted for a significant percentage of the variance in positive aspects of caregiving after controlling for other factors commonly associated with positive aspects of caregiving including caregiver demographics, care recipient neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver depression.
Our results suggest that high self-efficacy relates to caregivers' perception of positive aspects of the caregiving experience.
照顾体验的积极方面可能会减轻照顾者因照顾而产生的许多负面心理和生理后果。了解哪些因素与照顾积极方面的认知有关，对于增强照顾者的幸福感非常重要。自我效能感是一种潜在可改变的心理结构，与积极思考、改善负面情绪控制和增强动力有关。
本研究通过对 57 名照顾阿尔茨海默病患者的家庭成员进行的个体访谈，考察了照顾积极方面与自我效能感之间的关系。这些参与者的数据是作为一项针对照顾者干预的更大规模随机对照试验的一部分收集的。
我们发现，在控制了与照顾积极方面相关的其他因素（包括照顾者人口统计学特征、照顾对象的神经精神症状和照顾者抑郁）后，自我效能感解释了照顾积极方面的很大一部分变异。
我们的结果表明，高自我效能感与照顾者对照顾体验的积极方面的看法有关。
