Keywords

Dementia Caregiver, Intervention, Gratitude, Caregiver Burden

Abstract

The current study investigated the feasibility of utilizing a positive psychology strategy, Three Good Things, for dementia caregivers who at times may be limited in their ability to access resources due to caregiving role demands. The experimental task asked participants to list three things that went well for the day and their role in these events. Participants were randomized into a control or experimental group. The study was conducted on a sample of self-identified dementia caregivers (N = 45) to help reduce negative outcomes such as depression, burden, burnout, and negative affect. Further, variables thought to be influenced by increases in gratitude were included such as positive aspects of caregiving, positive affect, and coping with positive reinterpretation. Additionally, daily measurements of depressive symptom endorsement and gratitude were collected to help elucidate the mechanistic components of this intervention. Data was collected remotely for 15 days, including pre- and post-assessment. Groups did not differ significantly on demographic factors or baseline scores. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess change between pre- and post-intervention outcome variables by group. While most outcome variables trended in the hypothesized direction, only caregiver burden showed a statistically significant reduction in burden by group, suggesting that this pilot study is underpowered. Additionally, change in gratitude over time was not predictive of depressive symptom endorsement in an analysis using a multilevel model. There has been poor translation in the community of interventions to address caregiver distress and thus availability of these resources can be scarce, especially by geographic location. The 3GT intervention is a promising low-cost, accessible strategy to promote a reduction in subjective burden and some dimensions of wellness among dementia caregivers. With further research, it may be used independently or in conjunction with readily available community interventions.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Paulson, Daniel

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree Program

Clinical Psychology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

DP0028869

URL

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1371&context=etd2023

Language

English

Rights

In copyright

Release Date

February 2025

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

Meets minimum standards for ETDs/HUTs

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