1
|
Greenleaf B, Foy A, Van Scoy L. Relationships Between Personality Traits and Perceived Stress in Surrogate Decision-Makers of Intensive Care Unit Patients. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024; 41:664-672. [PMID: 37641412 PMCID: PMC11032632 DOI: 10.1177/10499091231197662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Personality traits, specifically neuroticism, are related to stress in surrogate decision-makers (SDMs) in outpatient settings. We hypothesized that intrinsic traits are related to SDM stress in the intensive care unit (ICU) to determine if personality considerations should be included in interventions to support SDMs. METHODS Eligible participants (adult SDMs of non-capacitated ICU patients) completed validated questionnaires including stress (Impact of Events Scale-Revised, IES-R) and personality (Big Five Inventory, BFI) within 72 hours of ICU admission and again at 3 months post-ICU discharge (in addition to a qualitative interview). Bivariate Pearson correlations explored the relationship between BFI and IES-R at each time point (95% CI) and t-tests explored the relationship between stress and COVID-19. Mixed-methods analysis integrated qualitative and quantitative data. RESULTS Of 32 SDMs, 71.9% were female, 93.8% white, and 97.0% were family members. Neuroticism was not significantly correlated to IES-R at 72 hours (r = 0.09; p = 0.64), but r increased 3 months post-discharge (r = 0.32; p = 0.07). Other BFI traits did not show similar patterns. Total stress was greater in surrogates of COVID-19-positive patients (COVID-19-positive: 60.6; COVID-19-negative: 49.8; p = 0.025). Mixed-methods analysis demonstrated that participants with high neuroticism scores had poorer emotional regulation than those with low neuroticism scores. CONCLUSIONS This study supports that personality, particularly neuroticism, influences the stress of SDMs in the ICU. Further study of personality traits may identify surrogates who are at higher risk of stress-related disorders, which can guide future interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Foy
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Lauren Van Scoy
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Salarvand S, Azizi Z, Bitaraf S, Momeni-Safarabad N. Prevalence of Self-reported Domestic Elder Abuse and Its Relation with Personality Traits of Older People and Their Family Caregivers. ARCHIVES OF IRANIAN MEDICINE 2024; 27:323-333. [PMID: 38855802 PMCID: PMC11264627 DOI: 10.34172/aim.28107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elder abuse (EA) is a serious public health issue recognized as a healthcare priority. Personality traits can influence social behaviors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-reported domestic EA and its relationship with personality traits of older people and their family caregivers. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. The research population included older people living in the urban community of the Lorestan Province (in the western region of Iran) selected by multistage cluster sampling. In general, 998 older people and their family caregivers were sampled. The data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire: a. demographic characteristics of the older people, b. questionnaire on the incidence of elder abuse, and c. short version of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory-Revised (NEO-FFI-R) for measuring the personality traits of the older people or family caregivers. The statistical software used was Stata 14. RESULTS The present study reported that the prevalence of EA at home was 37.78%. In the present study, older age, female gender, unmarried/single status, lower education, unemployment, and rented house characteristics were predictors of EA. High agreeableness, high extroversion, and low neuroticism reduce conflict and tension in older people with their relatives and family, which appear to be protective factors against EA. CONCLUSION Policymakers and health experts should prepare training and screening programs to consider these factors so that older people exposed to EA can be identified more quickly and early interventions can be used to improve their health status and increase their quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Salarvand
- Hepatitis Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Zahra Azizi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Saeid Bitaraf
- Epidemiology, Clinical Sciences Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Durak M, Karakose S, Yow WQ. Editorial: Late-life psychopathology. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1204202. [PMID: 37303896 PMCID: PMC10249054 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1204202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mithat Durak
- Department of Psychology, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Türkiye
| | - Selin Karakose
- College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - W. Quin Yow
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
LaVela SL, Pedersen J, Ehrlich-Jones L, Heinemann AW. Positive and negative ways that informal caregivers are affected by weight and weight management efforts for care recipients with spinal cord injury. Disabil Rehabil 2022; 44:7152-7160. [PMID: 34613825 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1985629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To understand how informal caregivers are affected by weight and weight management of care recipients with SCI. MATERIALS AND METHODS In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 informal caregivers of community-dwelling Veterans and civilians with SCI. Thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS Three themes described how the care recipient's weight management efforts impacted the caregiver, including: (1) motivation and involvement in weight management efforts for themselves, (2) emotional well-being (positive and negative aspects), and (3) physical tasks (both ease and burden). Caregivers may experience emotional and/or physical burden by taking on extra caregiving tasks to help with care recipient's weight management. Caregivers also may experience positive impacts from the care recipient's weight management efforts, regardless of who drove the efforts, including improvement in their own motivation and involvement in weight management, enhanced emotional well-being (happiness for and with the care-recipient), and making physical caregiving tasks easier. CONCLUSIONS Rehabilitation providers can use these findings to educate dyads about potential impacts of weight management efforts for the care recipient, specifying areas that may cause burden but emphasizing the potential benefits for both recipient and caregiver. Integrating this education into rehabilitation practice may reduce overweight-related problems with function and declines in disability among dyads.Implications for RehabilitationInformal caregivers experience both positive and negative consequences with regard to weight management for individuals with SCI.Helping their loved one with weight management can facilitate informal caregivers' involvement in their own weight management activities.Findings may offer guidance to healthcare and rehabilitation providers as they incorporate weight management into education programs for informal caregivers of persons with SCI.Integrating this education into rehabilitation practice may reduce or delay overweight-related problems with function and declines in disability among dyads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sherri L LaVela
- Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare (CINCCH), Department of Veterans Affairs, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jessica Pedersen
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Midwest Regional SCI Care System (MRSCICS), Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRAlab), Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Linda Ehrlich-Jones
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Midwest Regional SCI Care System (MRSCICS), Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRAlab), Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Allen W Heinemann
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Midwest Regional SCI Care System (MRSCICS), Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRAlab), Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Lee JH, Sesker AA, Stephan Y, Terracciano A. Sense of purpose in life and concurrent loneliness and risk of incident loneliness: An individual-participant meta-analysis of 135,227 individuals from 36 cohorts. J Affect Disord 2022; 309:211-220. [PMID: 35483500 PMCID: PMC9133197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sense of purpose, the feeling that one's life is goal-oriented and driven, tends to be protective for psychological health. Less is known about its relation with social health, particularly loneliness. We test whether the cross-sectional association between purpose and loneliness is replicable and whether purpose protects against the development of incident loneliness over time. METHODS Participants from 36 cohorts (total N = 135,227; age range 18-109) reported on their sense of purpose, loneliness, and psychological distress. Follow-up measures of loneliness were available in 28 cohorts that ranged from six weeks to 15 years. Prospective, random-effect meta-analysis was used to summarize the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations from each cohort. RESULTS Sense of purpose was associated significantly with less loneliness in all 36 cohorts, controlling for sociodemographic factors (meta-analytic mean effect estimate = -0.31, 95% CI = -0.34, -0.29, p < .001). This association was stronger among participants experiencing concurrent severe psychological distress. Sense of purpose was protective against the development of new incident loneliness (meta-analytic mean hazard ratio estimate = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.87, p < .001). Age did not moderate any of the associations. LIMITATIONS Limitations include the lack of lower-income countries. The mechanisms that explain this association also need to be identified in future research. CONCLUSIONS Sense of purpose is associated with less loneliness and with protection against developing loneliness over time, associations that replicated across cohorts from North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Sense of purpose may be a useful target of intervention to prevent or reduce loneliness, especially among individuals suffering from psychological distress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Florida State University College of Medicine, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Iacob CI, Folostina R, Avram E. Trait resilience as a moderator between personality dysfunction and caregiving stress in caregivers of children and adults with developmental disabilities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 70:425-434. [PMID: 38699495 PMCID: PMC11062279 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2092934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Long-term care of a relative with a disability is associated with negative consequences on the caregiver's mental health. Therefore, investigating how some personality traits, such as resilience, protect caregivers with dysfunctional personality traits from caregiving stress is necessary. This study examines the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between caregiver's personality dysfunction and care stress. Methods A total of 224 family caregivers of children and adults with developmental disabilities participated in this cross-sectional research. They completed self-report measures of resilience, personality dysfunction, and care stress. Results The results show that medium and high levels of resilience protect familial caregivers from the adverse effects of personality dysfunction on stress. The relationship is maintained for three of the five dysfunctional personality traits (antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism). Conclusions From a theoretical point of view, the results show the contribution of the dimensional personality model to the study of caregiving stress. From a practical standpoint, the results can be used to optimise the resilience of familial caregivers, providing them with tools to take better care of their relatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia I. Iacob
- Department of Applied Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ruxandra Folostina
- Department of Special Education, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Eugen Avram
- Department of Applied Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Luchetti M, Ledermann T, Aschwanden D, Nikitin J, O’Súilleabháin PS, Stephan Y, Terracciano A, Sutin AR. Actor and Partner Effect of Loneliness on Episodic Memory and Verbal Fluency: A Dyadic Multilevel Analysis of Romantic Couples Across 28 Countries. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:2202-2211. [PMID: 35758343 PMCID: PMC9799178 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is evidence that loneliness is detrimental to cognitive health. Most studies, however, do not consider the association between loneliness and cognition in the context of close relationships, such as a spouse or romantic partner. This study examines loneliness, experienced by both the individual and their romantic partner, and cognitive performance. METHODS Data were from 24,689 opposite-sex couples (49,378 participants) from 28 countries in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe. Each couple participant reported loneliness and completed memory and verbal fluency tasks. A multilevel sex-stratified analysis was used to account for the nested data structure and evaluate actor and partner effects of loneliness on cognitive performance for male and female partners. RESULTS Consistent with the literature, there were small actor effects of loneliness on memory and verbal fluency for both males and females: A person's own loneliness was associated negatively with their cognitive performance on both tasks. There were also small partner effects: A person with a partner who was lonely tended to have worse cognitive performance above and beyond their own loneliness. Actor and partners effects were similar for male and female partners, replicated in most countries, and generally held controlling for age, education, household size, and disease burden. For memory, loneliness effects were slightly stronger among older participants. DISCUSSION Both the experience of loneliness and loneliness of a partner have a negative association with cognitive health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Luchetti
- Address correspondence to: Martina Luchetti, PhD, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, USA. E-mail:
| | - Thomas Ledermann
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
| | | | - Jana Nikitin
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Páraic S O’Súilleabháin
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | | | | | - Angelina R Sutin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Predicting Caregiver Burden in Informal Caregivers for the Elderly in Ecuador. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197338. [PMID: 33049971 PMCID: PMC7579437 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Informal caregivers are the main providers of care for the elderly. The aim of this study is to examine the predictive value of different variables regarding caregivers and their elderly patients with respect to the caregiver’s burden. A convenience sample of 688 informal caregivers and 688 elderly people from Ecuador was surveyed. Only households with one caregiver and one elderly person were considered for the study. For informal caregivers, the following standardized measures were obtained: burden (Zarit Burden Interview), neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated, EPQR-A), caregiver’s general health (GHQ-12), and social support (modified Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, FSSQ11). For the elderly, we employed standardized measures of cognitive function (short portable mental status questionnaire, SPMSQ), Pfeiffer’s test, and functional dependency (Barthel scale/Index, BI). Females were over-represented in caregiving and reported significantly higher burden levels than those of males. In both male and female caregivers, the burden was best predicted by the time of caring, neuroticism, and elderly cognitive impairment. However, some predictors of burden were weighted differently in males and females. The functional independence of the elderly was a significant predictor of burden for male caregivers but not females, while caregiver competence was a significant predictor for females but not males. These variables accounted for more than 88% of the variability in informal caregivers.
Collapse
|