College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2013 Aug;22(4):340-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2012.00877.x. Epub 2012 Sep 25.
Currently, 5.4 million persons in the USA are diagnosed with dementia, and this number is projected to rise to 7.7 million by the year 2030. Family caregivers provide up to 80% of the care needed by persons with dementia and published work suggests that caring for persons with dementia can be very costly to caregivers' health. This study examined the mediating and the moderating effects of positive cognitions on the relationship between caregiver burden and resourcefulness in 80 caregivers of persons with dementia. A descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design was used in this study. The researcher contacted the administrators at the Alzheimer's Association early stage programs in Southeastern Wisconsin and questionnaires were distributed to interested caregivers. Positive cognitions explained 31% of the variance in resourcefulness (F (1, 78) = 35.46, P < 0.001) and as positive cognitions increased, caregivers' resourcefulness increased. Positive cognitions were found to be a mediator as evidenced by a substantial drop in the beta weight of caregiver burden from B = -0.28 to B = -0.11 when positive cognitions were entered into the equation. Interventions to strengthen positive thinking among caregivers of persons with dementia are needed to help caregivers overcome their burden.
目前，美国有 540 万人被诊断患有痴呆症，预计到 2030 年这一数字将上升到 770 万。家庭护理人员提供了痴呆症患者所需护理的 80%，已发表的研究表明，照顾痴呆症患者可能会给护理人员的健康带来巨大负担。本研究调查了积极认知对 80 名痴呆症患者护理人员的照顾者负担和应对能力之间关系的中介和调节作用。本研究采用描述性、相关性和横断面设计。研究人员联系了威斯康星州东南部阿尔茨海默病协会早期项目的管理人员，并向有兴趣的护理人员分发了问卷。积极认知解释了应对能力方差的 31%（F(1,78)=35.46，P<0.001），随着积极认知的增加，护理人员的应对能力也随之提高。积极认知被证明是一种中介，因为当积极认知被纳入方程时，照顾者负担的β权重从 B=-0.28 显著下降到 B=-0.11。需要对痴呆症患者的护理人员进行加强积极思维的干预，以帮助护理人员克服负担。
