Digital Commons Network^™

Circumventing Ableism: A Grounded Theory Study Exploring Caregiver Strategies To Promote A Positive Identity, June Furr

All Dissertations

This qualitative research study explores how caregivers and persons with disabilities navigate the rhetoric of disability and caregiving through the interviews of fifteen caregivers and fifteen persons with disabilities using the lens of grounded theory and Burke’s (1952) dramatistic pentad. Significant findings describe how focused disability description can circumvent ableism when rhetorical resources that assist caregivers and persons with disabilities to navigate the rhetoric in disability descriptions are provided. Disability description theory includes the three stages that define, collaborate and revise, and practice and apply a disability description. This qualitative research offers an introduction into the phenomenon of …

Locus Of Control, Mindfulness, And Perceived Caregiver Burden In Informal Caregivers Of People With Dementia, Tiffany Marinos-Sterge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdult informal caregivers play an essential role in the care of people with dementia living in the community. Adult informal caregivers may experience a host of negative psychological, emotional, and physical effects because of their roles as caregivers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the influence of locus of control and mindfulness on the perceived caregiver burden experienced by adult informal caregivers of people with dementia, controlling for relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Social determination theory and social learning theory provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Variables were measured using the Caregiver Burden Inventory, Mindfulness Attention Awareness …

Health Behaviors As Mediators Of Caregiver Physical Health, Michaela Clark

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Informal caregivers provide the bulk of care to older adults in the United States (Ali et al., 2021). Informal caregivers include family, friends, and neighbors, many of whom do not have any formal training for this role. There are costs associated with taking on a caregiving responsibility, such as scheduling appointments, helping with medications, household tasks, and even financial support (Rha et al., 2015). Many of these informal caregivers lack the coping skills necessary to manage the challenges associated with caregiving (Xu et al., 2021). Many also take on this role despite the personal costs on one’s own health, time, …

Addressing Death Distress In Caregivers Of Patients With Malignant Glioma, Kelcie D. Willis

Theses and Dissertations

The field of psychosocial oncology seeks to improve the quality of life of patients and families affected by cancer. This task becomes increasingly important when there are limited, non-curative treatment options, a high probability of recurrence, and rapid functional decline, such as in the case of a malignant glioma (MG). Indeed, the diagnosis of a MG is associated with negative sequalae that often translates to higher caregiver burden. Caregivers—who must manage the functional decline of the patient, changes within the family, and a complicated medical system—often feel overwhelmed, isolated, and ill-equipped to handle these myriad responsibilities. While they also report …

Locus Of Control, Mindfulness, And Perceived Caregiver Burden In Informal Caregivers Of People With Dementia, Tiffany Marinos-Sterge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdult informal caregivers play an essential role in the care of people with dementia living in the community. Adult informal caregivers may experience a host of negative psychological, emotional, and physical effects because of their roles as caregivers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the influence of locus of control and mindfulness on the perceived caregiver burden experienced by adult informal caregivers of people with dementia, controlling for relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Social determination theory and social learning theory provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Variables were measured using the Caregiver Burden Inventory, Mindfulness Attention Awareness …

Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Report At The University Of New Mexico, Lisa A. Marchiondo, Shannon Sanchez-Youngman, Teagan Mullins, Naila V. Decruz-Dixon, Melanie E. Moses, Julia Fulghum

ADVANCE Reports

This report outlines four overarching issues that the COVID-19 pandemic raised or amplified for faculty, based on a survey of full-time faculty on the main campus of the University of New Mexico in Spring 2022. Some of the issues identified existed before the pandemic, which further exacerbated challenges and inequities. Results based on faculty gender, race/ethnicity, and job title are provided.

The report contains multiple recommendations for each of the four core issues that will assist individual faculty and improve campus climate and culture. Recommendations are often applicable to multiple issues, so we provide an appendix that cross-lists recommendations between …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Parental Caregivers For Children With Severe Epidermolysis Bullosa, Michael J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Providing care to child with a chronic, rare diseases has been identified as a major life stressor with a myriad of negative physical and mental health consequences. These stresses have previously been found to create burden that may impair caregiving efforts and increase the risk of mortality for both the caregiver and affected child. Many rare diseases affect children. It is not known how caregiver burden and the source of stress varies by disease. Qualitative methods have been used to understand caregiver experience with the rare disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but no such studies have occurred in the United States. …

Impact Of A Dyadic Intervention On Family Supporter Involvement In Helping Adults Manage Type 2 Diabetes, Margaret F. Zupa, Aaron Lee, John D. Piette, Ranak Trivedi, Ada Youk, Michele Heisler, Ann Marie Rosland

Faculty and Student Publications

Background: Family support for adults’ diabetes care is associated with improved self-management and outcomes, but healthcare providers lack structured ways to engage those supporters. Objective: Assess the impact of a patient-supporter diabetes management intervention on supporters’ engagement in patients’ diabetes care, support techniques, and caregiving experience. Design: Multivariate regression models examined between-group differences in support-related measures observed as part of a larger trial randomizing participants to a dyadic intervention versus usual care. Participants: A total of 239 adults with type 2 diabetes and either A1c >8% or systolic blood pressure >160mmHg enrolled with a family supporter. Intervention: Health coaches provided …

The Caregiver’S Experience Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jordyn Deschene

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As the rate of Lyme disease diagnoses increases in the United States, it can be assumed that the frequency at which post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is diagnosed will also increase. While research has been published on the experience of caregivers of other chronic illnesses, no studies have examined the experience of the PTLDS caregiver. This quantitative study sought to discover the most significant burdens, mental health status (levels of anxiety and depression), and level of invalidation experienced by the PTLDS caregiver. Thirty individual participants took part in this study. This study found that mental burden is a significant area …

Stay-At-Home Fathers: What Is Their Life Really Like? An Intimate Portrayal, Christi Ann Hosking

MSU Graduate Theses

Reinforced by years of gender stereotypes is modern societies’ definition of masculinity, which has long been characterized by breadwinning and providing. Current literature has observed the growing trend which finds an increasing number of men engaged in the role of caregiver and the dynamic change in the home-work balance. Only a few studies looked at what life is like for a stay-at-home father and even fewer have allowed these fathers a unique voice for sharing their story. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of what day to day life was really like as a stay-at-home …

Reflective Functioning In Caregivers: Links To Adverse Childhood Experiences And Emotion Socialization Behaviors, Kristen Anne Yule

Dissertations (1934 -)

Caregivers with a childhood history of abuse and neglect are at a greater risk for the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment due to the reenactment of maladaptive caregiving behaviors learned from their caregivers. Some parents, however, are able to make sense of their childhood experiences and break this cycle by establishing secure and supportive relationships with their children. Theory and research suggest that reflective functioning (RF), the ability to understand and interpret one’s own and others’ behavior as an expression of thoughts, feelings, and intentions, offers a framework to understand how early experiences with caregivers play a role in the intergenerational …

Poststroke Depression And The Lived Experiences Of The Family Caregiver And Care Recipient Dyad, Tiffany Chere' Gurley-Nettles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPoststroke depression in stroke survivors is a more common occurrence than once believed as the survivor of stroke must contend with the loss of their former self and with residual physical, communicative, cognitive, and/or psychological changes. Family members who become informal caregivers, with minimal to no training in some cases, may experience stress from having to adjust to new family roles and responsibilities. Limited information is available on the lived experiences of the family caregiver and the survivor of stroke. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the survivor or stroke with poststroke depression and …

Women’S Sexual Satisfaction In The Context Of Midlife Relationships: Examining An Ecological Model And Intergenerational Caregiving, Katherine M. Arenella

Dissertations

This study examined an ecological model of sexual satisfaction in midlife women in relationships, and paid particular attention to the role of intergenerational caregiving in predicting satisfaction. Participants were 1,411 midlife women in relationships who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) national study. Using split samples for replication purposes, data from this survey were examined to test the hypothesis that an ecological model - including the macrosystem level variable of religiosity, the exosystem level variables of SES, social support, and parenthood, the mesosystem level variables of relationship satisfaction, affectual solidarity, relationship length, and sexual functioning, and the …

The Effects Of Caregiving Robots On Mortality Salience With The Elderly, Mira E. Gruber

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

As the world’s population of elderly persons rises (He, Goodkind, & Kowal, 2016), there is an increasing demand for people to care for the elderly. Caregiving robots are a potential solution to this problem. Research (i.e. MacDorman, 2005) suggests that uncanny, humanlike robots may elicit death anxiety, but it remains unclear whether non-humanlike caregiving robots also elicit death anxiety. This study expands on MacDorman’s study and investigates the effects of caregiving robots on death thought accessibility (DTA) and death anxiety in the institutionalized elderly. This research focuses on how caregiving robots affect the close relationship buffer against death anxiety, as …

Emotion Identification And Beliefs About Emotions As Mediators Of Ptsd And Parenting Meta-Emotion Philosophies, Maegan Calvert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of women are sexually victimized and incarcerated women’s rates of victimization are much higher. In addition, women have a higher rate of PTSD and trauma-related sequelae than men. Interpersonal trauma experiences can have a negative impact on emotional processes such as alexithymia, recognizing others’ emotions, and healthy beliefs about emotional experiences. These difficulties are associated with problematic parenting. However, the mediational processes by which PTSD and disruptive emotional processes affect parenting is unclear. The current study examines the associations among PTSD, alexithymia, negative beliefs about emotions, emotion recognition in children, and parenting meta-emotion philosophies in incarcerated women presenting …

The Roles Of Parents In Shaping Fathering Across Generations In Cebu, Philippines, Lee T. Gettler, Patty X. Kuo, Abet Bas, Judith B. Borja

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined how parental caregiving and parent–child closeness are associated with future fathering among 335 Filipino men who are participants in a long-running birth cohort study.

Background Few studies have multidecade longitudinal data to test the pathways through which parenting is transmitted across generations, with most relevant research conducted in the United States, Europe, and other similar settings. The roles of mothers and fathers in shaping their sons’ future parenting is particularly understudied despite fathers having the potential to positively influence child health and development.

Method: Participants’ mothers (Generation 1 [G1]) reported on caregiving during Generation 2 (G2) …

A Cross-Cultural Examination Of The Relations Among Parkinson’S Disease Impairments, Caregiver Burden And Mental Health, And Family Dynamics In Mexico And The United States, Erin Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to both physical and cognitive impairment over time. Eventually, these impairments may include the loss of autonomy, and the individual may require the assistance of an informal caregiver. Informal caregivers are critical in the care of individuals with PD and spend substantial time providing care, which may be associated with negative caregiver outcomes such as burden, mental health issues, as well as poor family dynamics. Although research in the United States and Europe has generally supported these relations, there is very limited research on PD caregiving in Latin America. …

Family Care Partners Of Chronically Ill Older Adults: The Role Of Uncertainty In Illness, Jillian Pine

Dissertations

Abstract This study integrated research on family care partners of older adults and

research on uncertainty in chronic illness. Previous findings were extended by examining care partners of older adults with multiple chronic conditions and highlighting early-stage undiagnosed cognitive impairment as a uniquely unclear condition. Participants were 45 women assisting community-dwelling, earlier generation older adults with multiple chronic health conditions and a prognosis of more than six months. Online survey data were used to test the hypotheses that increased illness uncertainty would be associated with increased care partner-recipient relationship strain and increased care partner perceived stress. This study also hypothesized …

“If I Don’T Take Care Of Myself, I Can’T Take Care Of Them:” Exploring Caregiving Grandmothers’ Experiences Of A 9-Session Self-Care Curriculum, Jacquelyn J. Lee Phd, Lcsw, Stacey R. Kolomer Phd

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Abstract

The predominance of research on custodial grandparent caregiving focuses on prevalence, risk factors, and challenges; less attention has been paid to the development of interventions to support this population. In response to a decrease in length of service provision at a local agency, a 9-session self-care curriculum was designed to focus on caregiver health through the empowering, multi-dimensional practice of self-care. The curriculum uses a mind-body approach and was integrated into a pre-existing 9-month support program for grandparents raising grandchildren. Using a basic, interpretive qualitative design, the purpose of this study was to explore how grandparent caregivers: 1) understand …

Caregiver Criticism, Help-Giving And The Burden Of Schizophrenia Among Mexican American Families, Bianca T. Villalobos, Jodie Ullman, Tracy Wang Krick, Darcy Alcántara, Alex Kopelowicz, Steven R. Lopez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives—The present study tested an attribution model of help-giving in family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia as it relates to caregivers’ reported burden. We hypothesized (a) that caregivers’ attributions of their ill relatives’ responsibility for their symptoms would be associated with more negative and less positive affective reactions, (b) that affective reactions would be related to perceptions of administered support, and (c) that support would in turn predict greater burden.

Methods—We examined 60 family caregivers of Mexican origin living in Southern California. Mexican Americans were chosen because of their high degree of contact with their ill relative thereby …

Impact Of Antidementia Medications On Neuropsychiatric Symptoms And Informal Costs Of Caregiving In Dementia, Stephanie Behrens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dementia-related diseases are progressive neurological disorders that can affect a person’s cognition and functional abilities, and also result in mental health symptoms commonly called neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). To date, the most common pharmacological treatments for dementia, “antidementia” medications, delay the progression of the cognitive and functional symptoms of the condition. Studies of the effects of antidementia medications on NPS show varying results. Presence of NPS can also affect the amount of time caregivers provide care with persons with dementia, which can affect informal costs of the condition. This project used extant data from the longitudinal, population-based Cache County Study on …

Filipino Americans' Perspectives On Caregiving, Maribel Lapuos Dominguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With increased life expectancy, more individuals will need to rely on caregivers and/or caregiving services. Filipino Americans are reluctant to depend on outside help when it comes to caring for their family members. There was a gap in the literature concerning the specific impact of the caregiving role on Filipino Americans and how cultural values affect the care provided to their family members. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain understanding of how Filipino cultural values and life roles affected Filipino Americans' experiences of caregiving. The conceptual framework included the sociocultural stress and coping model. The central research …

Death Anxiety, Depression, And Coping In Family Caregivers, Veronica Semenova, Leann Stadtlander

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Along with the increase in elderly patients with chronic and disabling conditions, the number of family caregivers continues to rise. Caregiving has been associated with negative physical and psychological impact on the caregivers’ health, as well as, with higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and a higher risk of mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine if death anxiety would be a significant predictor of depression and coping in the sample of adult family caregivers of adult patients. Participants were 46 family caregivers recruited through caregiver websites. Participants completed the Revised Collett–Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale, …

A Portrait Of Five Undergraduate Students Who Serve As Caregivers While Taking University Courses, Emily Owens, Carley Ulibarri, Blake D. Karlin

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics specific to adults who are caregivers while taking classes from an institution of higher education. We recruited 5 university attending adults through a subject pool and through announcements in various classes through the university setting. Measures on depression, burden, daily activities, and general background were used to assess the experiences of the participants. Self-reports indicated high levels of selfefficacy with regard to the care process, minimal depression, low to moderate levels of burden, and high resiliency among those surveyed. These results indicate while registered as a full time student (12 credits …

Cross Validation Of The Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire: Associations With Maternal History Of Maltreatment And Intimate Partner Violence, Maegan Calvert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disorganized caregiving has been associated with both maternal childhood history and current experiences of trauma. However, the methods by which disorganized caregiving has been studied have been time intensive and costly. The current study aimed to extend previous research with the Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ; George & Solomon, 2011), which is a self-report measure designed to assess aspects of disorganized caregiving such as caregiving helplessness, role reversal, and frightened/frightening caregiving experiences. Participants (N = 156) were a community sample of mothers of children ages 5 to 10 who were primarily white and who reported a range of traumatic experiences. It …

Differing Perspectives On Older Adult Caregiving, Eve M. Brank, Lindsey E. Wylie

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Informal older adult caregiving allows older adults to stay in their homes or live with loved ones, but decisions surrounding older adult care are fraught with complexities. Related research and case law suggest that an older adult’s need for and refusal of help are important considerations; the current study is the first to examine these factors experimentally. Two samples (potential caregivers and care recipients) provided responses regarding anticipated emotions, caregiver abilities, and allocation of daily caregiving decision making based on a vignette portraying an older adult who had a high or low level of autonomy and who accepted or refused …

Examining The Effects Of Caregiver Coping Strategies On Care Recipient Outcomes, Joseph S. Wanzek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dementia is a progressive syndrome with declines in cognitive and functional abilities. As the world’s population becomes increasingly older, prevalence rates are expected to increase exponentially to over 80 million affected by the year 2040. Individuals with dementia and their caregivers experience various difficulties associated with progression that increases stress for both parties. Caregiving can be burdensome and caregivers may employ a number of strategies to manage problems as they arise. Renewed interest has been focused on the care environment as one way to modify dementia progression as caregivers can be an influential person in the care recipient’s life. Two …

The Role Of Workplace Supervisor Support In Cargivers' Marital Relationships, Kenona H. Southwell

Open Access Dissertations

Family caregivers make important contributions to care recipients and the economy. However, providing care for ill or disabled family members can be challenging, particularly when the role of caregiver is accompanied by additional roles such as employee, spouse, and parent ( Hammer & Neal, 2008). There is some evidence that the demands of caregiving may negatively influence the quality of caregivers’ marriages (Bookwala, 2009). Much of caregiving research, however, is focused on the influence of caregiving and multiple caregiving roles on caregivers’ health (see Pinquart & Sörensen, 2011), but less attention has been paid to other aspects of caregivers’ lives …

Patient- And Family-Identified Problems Of Traumatic Brain Injury: Value And Utility Of A Target Outcome Approach To Identifying The Worst Problems, Laraine Winter, Helene J. Moriarty, Catherine V. Piersol, Tracey Vause-Earland, Keith Robinson, Brian Newhart

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

This study aimed to identify the sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that are most troubling to veterans with TBI and their families and identify veteran-family differences in content and ranking. Instead of standardized measures of symptom frequency or severity, which may be insensitive to change or intervention effects, we used a target outcome measure for veterans with TBI and their key family members, which elicited open-ended reports concerning the three most serious TBI-related problems. This was followed by Likert-scaled ratings of difficulty in managing the problem.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, interviews were conducted in veterans’ homes. Participants …

Parent Participation In Child Therapeutic Settings, Robert Doss

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Researchers agree that more caregiver participation and higher levels of engagement in child therapeutic settings lead to better outcomes. However, challenges arise in families of low socioeconomic status (SES) where resources are already spread thin. The current study evaluates the efficacy of implementing a single caregiver participation session during an eight-week physical activity and play group for kids aged 6 to 9 years old. Results indicate that the group as a whole is useful in improving some emotional and behavioral issues in children, but the participation session did not seem to have an impact on improvement. A discussion of results, …