Logo image
Back
“The Filter is Kind of Broken”: Family Caregivers' Attributions About Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

“The Filter is Kind of Broken”: Family Caregivers' Attributions About Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Courtney A. Polenick, Laura M. Struble, Barbara Stanislawski, Molly Turnwald, Brianna Broderick, Laura N. Gitlin and Helen C. Kales
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, v 26(5), pp 548-556
May 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.12.004
PMID: 29373300
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc6619504View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

focus group Informal caregiving neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia qualitative data analysis
•We used focus group data to assess dementia family caregivers' attributions about the causes of BPSD, which may have implications for both care partners.•Caregivers attributed BPSD to disease factors, comorbid health conditions, psychological reactions to dementia, adverse social consequences, and environmental changes.•A number of caregivers indicated their beliefs that BPSD are volitional or at least partly within the care recipient's capacity to control.•This study extends the literature with a focus group approach that generates candid responses and allows caregivers to build on each other's views about what causes BPSD.•Caregivers' causal beliefs about BPSD may reflect unmet educational needs that should be considered in targeted interventions to reduce caregiving stress. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common, often challenging to manage, and may erode caregivers' well-being. Few studies have explored caregivers' perspectives of what causes these behaviors, but such attributions may be important—particularly if they negatively impact the care dyad. This study examined causal attributions about BPSD among individuals caring for a family member with dementia. In-depth qualitative data were obtained from family caregivers of older adults with dementia. As part of a larger study (NINR R01NR014200), four focus groups were conducted with caregivers by an experienced facilitator. A total of 26 family caregivers participated in the four focus groups. Caregivers reported their own attributions about the causes of their care recipient's BPSD. Sessions were audio-recorded. Data were transcribed, coded to determine relevant concepts, and reduced to identify major categories. Five categories were determined. Caregivers attributed BPSD to: 1) neurobiological disease factors; 2) physical symptoms or comorbid health conditions; 3) psychological reactions to dementia; 4) shifting social roles and relationships following dementia onset; and 5) environmental changes such as lack of routine and medical transitions (e.g., hospitalization). Despite this seemingly multifactorial attribution to BPSD etiology, a number of respondents also indicated that BPSD were at least partly within the care recipient's control. Family caregivers attribute BPSD to a range of care recipient and environmental factors. Caregivers' own causal beliefs about BPSD may reflect unmet educational needs that should be considered in the development of targeted interventions to minimize caregiving stress.

Metrics

5 Record Views
22 citations in Web of Science
17 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Gerontology
Psychiatry
Logo image