The study of potentially changeable predictors of distress in help seeking dementia caregivers can help to inform the search for effective interventions. A model is presented which argues that typical interventions with dementia caregivers focus on increasing resources (information about the disease and social support) or the modification of mediating cognitive coping strategies. This investigation examined the prediction of emotional distress, life satisfaction, and burden in a group of 72 in-home spouse caregivers who were seeking help in alleviating their distress. In order to test the specificity of these strategies to caregiving, a comparison group of 35 older people seeking help in changing their moods was used. Distress among in-home spouse caregivers was predicted by cognitive coping strategies. Symptom-atic distress among the noncaregiver older adults was predicted by qualitative social support only. These results are interpreted as supporting a stress reduction model for understanding and helping dementia caregivers.
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