Date of Award
1-1-2016
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School/Department
Department of Psychology
Program
Clinical Psychology
Content Description
1 online resource (iii, viii, 194 pages) : illustrations.
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
Julia Hormes
Committee Members
Drew Anderson, James Boswell
Keywords
altruism, dyadic adjustment, Multiple sclerosis, posttraumatic stress, social support, spousal/partner caregivers, Caregivers, Post-traumatic stress disorder
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating, unpredictable, chronic illness for which many diagnosed individuals are cared for by their spouses or partners (e.g., McKeown, Porter-Armstrong, & Baxter, 2003). These MS spousal/partner caregivers are especially vulnerable to the deleterious outcomes of caregiving (e.g., Buhse, 2008; Corry & While, 2009). The present research examined hypothesized protective psychosocial factors and the impact of trauma in these unique caregivers through two cross-sectional studies (n=93 and n=62). Findings from Study One demonstrate that lower caregiver burden and higher dyadic adjustment were associated with improved caregiver mental health outcomes (Chapter 1). Study One also shows that reducing caregiver burden, increasing received social support, and giving social support by engaging in MS-related volunteer work were associated with improved caregiver outcomes (Chapter 2). Findings furthermore demonstrate that higher levels of altruism buffered against the negative effects of caregiver burden on general mental and physical health. Altruism also protected against negative effects of caregiver burden on satisfaction with life, but this effect was only detectable at low levels of caregiver burden. Study Two demonstrates that MS spousal/partner caregivers are at higher risk for PTSD and subclinical posttraumatic stress symptoms than other caregivers and than the general population (Chapter 3). Results suggest that MS spousal/partner caregivers should be screened for PTSD and that prevention and intervention efforts should target reducing caregiver burden, increasing dyadic adjustment, increasing received social support, and encouraging caregivers to engage in MS-related volunteer activities.
Recommended Citation
Rivers, Alison J., "Protective psychosocial factors and trauma in multiple sclerosis spousal/partner caregivers : intersecting roles and interactional influences" (2016). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 1707.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/1707