Assuming the role of a caregiver for a person with Alzheimer's disease entails significant physical and psychological burden. This role is rarely taken on by choice, emerges as the disease progresses in a close family member. The caregiver's values and cultural context may play an important role in the decision to continue providing care. The duration of care and the severity of the disease's symptoms are direct factors contributing to burden, and depression. A caregiver's personality may determine how they respond to stressful situations, while knowledge of their system of values may influence their interpretation of the caregiving role and their psychological well-being. Understanding personality types and value hierarchies may support caregivers in adapting to the situation and alleviating burden.
Objective
The aim of our study was to identify caregiver profiles based on their personality traits and preferred value system.
Methods
To distinguish groups of caregivers based on selected psychological characteristics (personality traits, personal values, caregiving involvement, perceived stress, levels of depression), a cluster analysis using the k-means method was conducted.
Results
Analysis of the results enabled the identification of distinct caregiver profiles, with two predominant patterns emerging in this sample, which differed in their personality traits and value systems.
Conclusions
Caregivers with a Balanced-Task-Oriented profile exhibited lower levels of stress and depressive symptoms than those with an Unbalanced-Supportive profile. The results suggest that caregivers guided by a strong value system and higher levels of neuroticism are more susceptible to stress and depression than those with a more stable personality.
BrodatyHDonkinM. Family caregivers of people with dementia. Dialogues Clin Neurosci2009; 11: 217–228.
2.
CzekanowskiPSynakB. Wybrane elementy obrazu rodzinnych sytuacji opiekuńczych ludzi starych w Polsce. In: HalickaMHalickiJ (eds) Zostawić ślad na ziemi. Księga pamiątkowa dedykowana Profesorowi Wojciechowi Pędichowi w 80 rocznicę urodzin i 55 rocznicę pracy naukowej. Białystok: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku, 2006, pp.182–189.
3.
GonzálezFEPalmaSF. Functional social support in family caregivers of elderly adults with severe dependence. Invest Educ Enferm2016; 34: 68–73.
4.
KaufmanAVKosbergJILeeperJD, et al.Social support, caregiver burden, and life satisfaction in a sample of rural African American and White caregivers of older persons with dementia. J Gerontol Soc Work2010; 53: 251–269.
5.
OshodiYOAdeyemiJDAinaOF, et al.Burden and psychological effects: caregiver experiences in a psychiatric outpatient unit in Lagos, Nigeria. Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg)2012; 15: 99–105.
6.
TelHDemirkolDKaraS, et al.Care burden and quality of life among the caregivers of patients with COPD. Turk Thorac J2012; 13: 87–92.
7.
BodasJOllendickTH. Test anxiety: a cross–cultural perspective. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev2005; 8: 65–88.
8.
CostaPTTerraccianoAMcCraeRR. Gender differences in personality traits across cultures: robust and surprising findings. J Pers Soc Psychol2001; 81: 322–331.
9.
EllisL. Identifying and explaining apparent universal sex differences in cognition and behavior. Pers Individ Dif2011; 51: 552–561.
10.
HydeJSMezulisAHAbramsonLY. The ABCs of depression: integrating affective, biological, and cognitive models to explain the emergence of the gender difference in depression. Psychol Rev2008; 115: 291–313.
11.
JohnsonDPWhismanMA. Gender differences in rumination: a meta–analysis. Pers Individ Dif2013; 55: 367–374.
12.
TwengeJMNolen-HoeksemaS. Age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and birth cohort difference on the children's depression inventory: a meta–analysis. J Abnorm Psychol2002; 111: 578–588.
13.
McCraeRRTerraccianoASánchez-BernardosML, et al.Universal features of personality traits from the observer's perspective: data from 50 cultures. J Pers Soc Psychol2005; 88: 547–561.
14.
PinquartMSorensenS. Association of stressors and uplifts of caregiving with caregiver burden and depressive mood: a meta–analysis. J Gerontol2003; 58: P112–P128.
15.
SchulzRSherwoodPR. Physical and mental health effects of family caregiving. Am J Nurs2008; 108: 23–27.
16.
McCraeRRCostaPTJr. Osobowość dorosłego człowieka. Perspektywa teorii pięcioczynnikowej. Kraków: WAM, 2005, pp.1–308.
17.
CarverCSConnor-SmithJ. Personality and coping styles. Ann Rev Psychol2010; 61: 679–704.
18.
CapistrantBD. Caregiving for older adults and the caregivers’ health: an epidemiologic view. Curr Epidemiol Rep2016; 3: 72–80.
19.
ZarzyckiMSeddonDMorrisonV. Informal caregiver motivations, values, challenges and gains: a photovoice and interpretative phenomenological analysis of interrelationships. J Health Psychol2022; 28: 568–582.
20.
YiuHCZangYChewJHS, et al.The influence of Confucianism on the perceptions and process of caring among family caregivers of persons with dementia: a qualitative study. J Transcult Nurs2021; 32: 153–160.
21.
ZarzyckiMSeddonDBeiE, et al.How culture shapes informal caregiver motivations: a meta-ethnographic review. Qual Health Res2022; 32: 1574–1589.
22.
PinquartMSörensenS. Correlates of physical health of informal caregivers: a meta–analysis. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci2007; 62: P126–P137.
23.
BakalarczykR. Wsparcie rodziny z dotkniętym niesamodzielnością seniorem. In: BojanowskaEKawińskaM (eds) Praca socjalna wobec wyzwań współczesności. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Kontrast, 2015, pp.145–164.
24.
BakalarczykRBłędowskiPJurekŁ, et al.Opieka długoterminowa w Polsce dzisiaj i jutro. Warszawa: Koalicja Na pomoc niesamodzielnym” – Związek Stowarzyszeń, 2019, pp.1–61.
25.
SpisackaSPlutaR. Charakterystyka demograficzna opiekunów pacjentów z chorobą Alzheimera. Ann Univ Mariae Curie Sklodowska2003; 58: 163–168.
26.
SchwartzSH. Universals in the content and structure of values: theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: ZannaMP (ed) Advances in experimental social psychology. 25. San Diego: Academic Press, 1992, pp.1–65.
27.
SchwartzSH. An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings Psychol Culture2012; 2: 1–20.
28.
SchwartzSHCieciuchJVecchioneM, et al.Refining the theory of basic individual values. J Pers Soc Psychol2012; 103: 663–688.
29.
CieciuchJSchwartzSH. Pomiar wartości w kołowym modelu Schwartza. In: GasiulH (ed) Metody badania emocji i motywacji. Warszawa: Difin, 2018, pp.307–334.
30.
MakowskaHPoprawaR. Radzenie sobie ze stresem w procesie budowania zdrowia. In: Dolińska-ZygmuntG (ed) Podstawy psychologii zdrowia. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2001, pp.71–102.
31.
MeloGMarocoJde MendonҫaA. Influence of personality on caregiver’s burden, depression and distress related to the BPSD. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry2011; 26: 1275–1282.
32.
CampbellPWrightJOyebodeJ, et al.Determinants of burden in those who care for someone with dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry2008; 23: 1078–1085.
33.
HelmesEGreenBAlmeidaO. Individual differences in the experience of burden in caring for relatives with dementia: role of personality and mastery. Australas J Ageing2005; 24: 202–206.
34.
JangYClayOJRothDL, et al.Neuroticism and longitudinal change in caregiver depression: impact of a spouse–caregiver intervention program. Gerontologist2004; 44: 311–317.
35.
ShurgotGRKnightBG. Influence of neuroticism, ethnicity, familism, and social support on perceived burden in dementia caregivers: pilot test of transactional stress and social support model. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci2005; 60: P331–P334.
VugtMEStevensFAaltenP, et al.Behavioural disturbances in dementia and quality of the marital relationship. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry2003; 18: 149–154.
38.
MorrisRGMorrisLWBrittonPG. Factors affecting the emotional well-being of the caregivers of dementia sufferers. Br J Psychiatry1988; 153: 147–156.
39.
LöckenhoffCEDubersteinPRFriedmanB, et al.Five–factor personality traits and subjective health among caregivers: the role of caregiver strain and self–efficacy. Psychol Aging2011; 26: 592–604.
40.
RachelWDatkaWZyssT, et al.Obciążenie opiekunów pacjentów z otępieniem w chorobie Alzheimera. Gerontol Polska2014; 22: 14–16.
41.
KimYDubersteinPRSörensenS, et al.Levels of depressive symptoms in spouses of people with lung cancer: effects of personality, social support, and caregiving burden. Psychosomatics2005; 46: 123–130.
42.
RenzettiCIaconoSPinelliM, et al.Living with dementia: is distress influenced by carer personality?Arch Gerontol Geriatr2001; 33: 333–340.
43.
KoernerSSKenyonDB. Understanding “good days” and “bad days”: emotional and physical reactivity among caregivers for elder relatives. Fam Relat2007; 56: 1–11.
44.
KoernerSSKenyonDBShiraiY. Caregiving for elder relatives: which caregivers experience personal benefits/gains?Arch Gerontol Geriatr2009; 48: 238–245.
45.
Hollis-SawyerLA. Mother–daughter eldercare and changing relationships: a path–analytic investigation of factors underlying positive, adaptive relationships. J Adult Dev2003; 10: 41–52.
46.
SiutaJ. Inwentarz Osobowości Paula T. Costy Jr i Roberta R. McCrae. Warszawa: Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych PTP, 2006.
47.
WatsonDClarkLA. Negative affectivity: the disposition to experience negative affective states. Psychol Bull1984; 96: 465–490.
48.
WatsonDPennebakerJW. Health complaints, stress, and distress: exploring the central role of negative affectivity. Psychol Rev1989; 96: 234–254.
49.
CostaPTSomerfieldMRMcCraeRR. Personality and coping. Reconceptualization. In: ZeidnerMEndlerNS (eds) Handbook of coping: theory, research, applications. New York: Wiley & Sons, 1996, pp.44–61.
50.
ZysnarskaMWojnicz-MicheraITaborowskaM, et al.Kobieta – opiekun osoby przewlekle chorej – wyznaczniki przeciążenia. Nowiny Lekarskie2010; 79: 386–391.
51.
ReisbergBFerrisSHde LeonMJ, et al.The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. Am J Psychiatr1982; 139: 1136–1139.
52.
CieciuchJ. Pomiar wartości w zmodyfikowanym modelu Shaloma Schwartza. Psychol Społeczna2013; 8: 22–41.
53.
CiałkowskaMHadryśTKiejnaA. Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire–description and application. Psychiatr Pol2009; 43: 435–444.
JainAK. Data clustering: 50 years beyond K-means. Pattern Recognit Lett2010; 31: 651–666.
57.
AhmedMSerajRIslamSMS. The K-means algorithm: a comprehensive survey and performance evaluation. Electronics (Basel)2020; 9: 1295.
58.
ByrneBM. Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. New York: Routledge, 2010.
59.
HairJBlackWCBabinBJ, et al.Multivariate data analysis. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson Educational International, 2010.
60.
JuczyńskiZOgińska-BulikN. Osobowość, stres a zdrowie. Warszawa: Difin, 2008.
61.
KirenkoJByraS. Zasoby osobiste w chorobach psychosomatycznych. Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marie Curie–Skłodowskiej, 2008.
62.
OleśP. Wprowadzenie do psychologii osobowości. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 2003.
63.
SagivLSchwartzSH. Value priorities and subjective well-being: direct relations and congruity effects. Eur J Soc Psychol2000; 30: 177–198.
64.
BilskyWSchwartzSH. Values and personality. Eur J Pers1994; 8: 163–181.
65.
BanduraA. Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: Freeman, 1997.
66.
RachelWJabłońskiMDatkaW, et al.Jakość życia opiekunów pacjentów z otępieniem w chorobie alzheimera. Psychogeriatr Polska2014; 11: 67–78.
67.
GallantMPConnellCM. Neuroticism and depressive symptoms among spouse caregivers: do health behaviors mediate this relationship?Psychol Aging2003; 18: 587–592.
68.
NijboerCTempelaarRTriemstraM, et al.The role of social and psychologic resources in caregiving of cancer patients. Cancer2001; 91: 1029–1039.
69.
HookerKMonahanDJBowmanSR, et al.Personality counts for a lot: predictors of mental and physical health of spouse caregivers in two disease groups. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci1998; 53B: P73–P85.
70.
MonahanDJHookerK. Health of spouse caregivers of dementia patients – the role of personality and social support. Soc Work1995; 40: 305–314.
71.
Chojnacka-SzawłowskaG. Zmęczenie a zdrowie i choroba. Kraków: Oficyna Wydawnicza Impuls, 2009.
72.
VugtMEStevensFAaltenP, et al.Do caregiver management strategies influence patient behaviour in dementia?Int J Geriatr Psychiatry2004; 19: 85–92.
73.
CovinskyKENewcomerRFoxP, et al.Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia. J Gen Intern Med2003; 18: 1006–1014.
74.
PiłatA. Rodzinni opiekunowie osób starszych. Zeszyty Pracy Socjalnej2016; 21: 23–33.
75.
MahoneyRReganCKatonaC, et al.Anxiety and depression in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The LASER–AD study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry2005; 13: 795–801.
76.
VitalianoPPZhangJScanlanJM. Is caregiving hazardous to one’s physical health? A meta–analysis. Psychol Bull2003; 129: 946–972.
77.
PonsodaJMDiazA. Positive emotions in family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients: factors associated with gain in caregiving from a gender perspective. J Clin Med2024; 13: 2322.
78.
DuangjinaTJeamjitviboolTParkCH, et al.Sex and gender differences in caregiver burden among family caregivers of person with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gerontol Geriatr2025; 138: 105977.
79.
MurphySAFisherPARobieC. International comparison of gender differences in the five factor model of personality: an investigation across 105 countries. J Res Pers2021; 90: 104047.
80.
SołtysABidzanMTyburskiE. The moderating effects of personal resources on caregiver burden in carers of Alzheimer’s patients. Front Psychiatry2021; 12: 772050.
