Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Online Act For Caregivers: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study, Jacob D. Gossner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Family caregivers for people with dementia are a resilient population operating under stressful circumstances that can put them at risk of multiple negative outcomes. Existing interventions may be difficult for family caregivers to access due to time and transportation constraints; an alternative is online, self-guided interventions that caregivers can access from their own homes. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the impact of ACT for Caregivers, a six session online, self-guided program based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants had an average age of 61.93 (SD = 13.69), had been caregiving for an average …

Risk Factors For Early And Late Onset Depression And Subsequent Risk For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In An Older Adult Population, Jordan Kugler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) was a research study that followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older over the course of 12 years, examining risk and protective factors for dementia. One of these factors was depression history, which has evidence for a connection with dementia, such that those with a history of depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. However, the existing literature has yet to examine sex differences, genetic and psychosocial factors that contribute to earlier or later onset of depression and how these factors in turn might later increase risk for …

Staff Perceptions Of Quality Interactions In Dementia Care, Rebecka A. Schultz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The national aging trend suggests that population of those aged 65 and older will reach 83.7 million by the year 2050. With increasing age comes the growing possibility of one getting some form of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association expects the number of American’s with dementia to triple from the reported 5 million cases in 2014 by 2050. With a rise in this cognitively impaired population there is reason to look closely at the needs of persons with dementia living in residential facilities and whether or not they are being met. The main focus of residential facilities is to provide aid …

Dementia Caregiver Coping Strategies And Caregiver-Care Recipient Relationship Closeness: Associations With Care-Recipient Outcomes, Stephanie Behrensberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project used data from the Dementia Progression Study, a longitudinal, population-based study based out of Cache County, Utah. Statistical models were used to examine the association between caregiver factors, the care environment, and cognitive outcomes in persons with dementia. Mediational analyses were also used to examine if the care environment, inferred for nutritional status, engagement in physical and cognitively stimulating activities, mediated the relationship between the closeness/caregiver coping strategies and cognition in persons with dementia. Results showed that closer caregiver-care recipient relationships were associated with better nutritional status and more engagement in number of cognitively stimulating activities as well …

Lifetime Estrogen Exposure And Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: Implications For Cognitive Decline In Late Life, Joshua M. Matyi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) is a longitudinal population-based study which took place in Cache County, Utah. The study followed 5092 older-adult residents (aged 65+) for approximately 12 years to examine risk and protective factors for dementia. Participants completed dementia screening and follow-up assessments across four triennial visits. Additionally, researchers gathered information regarding demographics, reproductive history (e.g. age of menopause; hormone replacement therapy [HRT]) and other health-related factors, such as physical activity. Genotyping of DNA was completed for a genetic variation of genes for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain associated with …

Activities And Quality Of Life For Persons With Dementia, Cassidy Rose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to better understand how activities may impact quality of life on dementia care units. Researchers observed dementia care units, and looked into how different activity types impacted emotional affect in the person with dementia, and how they elicited different levels of positive staff interaction. Results indicated that there were significantly higher levels of positive affect from participants on certain activity types, compared to no activity. Activities that had high levels of staff to client interactions had more positive affective outcomes. Researchers concluded that quality activities should consider the environment, staff ratio, staff communication and interaction, engagement …

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 …

Staff Interactions And Affect In Persons With Dementia: An Observational Study Of A Memory Care Unit, Keirstin V. Meyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated that the number of people in the United States living with dementia in 2015 will nearly triple by the year 2050. With no cure for dementia, we are faced with providing care in a way that maximizes well-being. The majority of prior research focused on the best ways to reduce behavioral problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge about the social influences on well-being in persons with dementia, particularly from staff in residential memory care units. This study found that the most common interaction type from …

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 …

Dementia Caregiver Personality Traits And Coping Strategies: Association With Care Recipient Outcomes, Christine M. Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the potential impact of dementia caregivers’ personality traits and utilization of coping strategies on care recipients’ development of severe dementia, institutionalization, and mortality. Generally, the personality traits and coping strategies were not predictive of care recipient outcomes, especially related to the institutionalization of care recipients. However, increased caregiver use of Avoidance predicted time to care recipient development of severe dementia, while increased use of Counting Blessings reduced risk of mortality.

This research was conducted using extant data from a community-wide study examining factors that affect dementia progression. All data were collected by a research nurse and a …

Engaging Wisdom: A Comparison Of Cognitive And Interpersonal Interventions On Elderly Mental Health, Kade Downs

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the United States the population of individuals over the age of 60 is large and expected to increase (Administration on Aging, 2009). Mental disorders (e.g., dementia) are especially prevalent in elderly populations (WHO, 2012). Considering the relatively small amount of research examining elderly populations in the United States, this prevalence highlights the potential and necessity for intervention research specifically designed for elderly individuals. This study examines the effectiveness of a cognitive as well as an interpersonal intervention on the mental health of a sample of individuals over the age of 60 at residential eldercare facilities. Results showed no significant …

The Influence Of Widowhood And Sociodemographic Moderators On Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease Risk, Daniel Joseph Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are dramatic public health problems. In recent years, researchers have uncovered evidence demonstrating that chronic stress can lead to these conditions. Because of this, researchers have also investigated whether widowhood, one of the most stressful life events, may also lead to dementia and AD. However, these studies are conflicting, and few have investigated whether the influence of widowhood on dementia and AD varies in different contexts associated with aging and widowhood. For instance, evidence suggests that widowhood may exert greater influence among males and among those with a history of depression. Other such contextual factors …

Numerical Quantity Estimation In The Elderly, With And Without Cognitive Impairment, Brett Bradley Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study examined mental representation of numerical quantity in 25 elderly participants with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. An analogue number-line task has been used in research of mental representation of numerical quantity in children, but little of such research has been done in elderly populations. This research also examined the clinical utility of this number-line task as a diagnostic tool for dementia and cognitive impairment in old age.

Relationship Between Occupational Complexity And Dementia Risk In Late-Life: A Population Study, Daylee Rose Greene

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

According to cognitive reserve theory, challenging and/or stimulating cognitive activities can build a theoretical reserve, which may lead to a delay in the clinical expression of dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease. These cognitively stimulating activities are thought to build cognitive strategies and neural pathways that are more efficient, enabling the individual to live symptom-free for a longer period of time. One mechanism through which cognitive reserve can be built is by participating in an occupation high in cognitive complexity. When individuals hold an occupation that is high in complexity, they may build their cognitive reserve in such a manner as to …

Factors Moderating The Association Between Multiple Rating Sources Of Geriatric Depression: Self, Informant, And Physician, Daniel J. Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Late-life depression is a major public health concern, associated with poor health outcomes, including doubling of dementia risk. Psychiatric evaluation is impractical in large epidemiological studies, which instead typically rely on self/informant reports, which are subject to various biases (stigma, recall). Few studies have addressed level of agreement between sources. This study examined associations between these sources and assessed whether subject and informant variables moderated these associations. In a population-based study of dementia in Cache County, Utah (2002-5), 1,480 subjects completed an in-depth clinical assessment (CA). Major depression was assessed via the self-report Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and informant-rated Neuropsychiatric …

Lifestyle Behaviors And Cognitive Status In A Community Sample Of Older Adults, Heeyoung Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lifestyle behaviors have been associated with better cognitive status and reduced risk of dementia. However, only individual or combinations of a few lifestyle behaviors have been studied. The present study examines the association between lifestyle behaviors and cognitive status in older adults including six lifestyle behaviors: cognitive activities, social activities, physical activities, religious involvement, diet, and alcohol consumption.

The study population is a sample of 1,216 community-dwelling men and women age 65 years and older from Cache County, Utah. The present study is conducted using the extant data from the Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging (CCSMHA), a …