| In this cross-sectional study, caregivers participating in clinical trials at a large northeastern university were interviewed to investigate the association between their self reported levels of distress and (a) the severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) exhibited by the individual with Alzheimer's disease and (b) the effectiveness of coping skills used by caregivers. Instruments used in this study included the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (Cummings et al., 1994) and the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997). Sixteen caregivers between ages 35 to 90 years were selected through convenience sampling to participate in this study. A significant correlation was discovered between reported levels of distress and behavioral disturbance. In addition, emotion-focused and dysfunctional coping strategies were significantly related to caregiver distress, but problem-focused coping was minimally related to distress. These findings support prior research on caregiver distress and coping in relation to BPSD. |
