The Bereaved Caregiver: A Prospective Study of Changes in Well-Being

Caregiver stressors, baseline adaptation, relationship difficulties, and psychological preparation were all related to changes in well-being, and the bereavement group, as compared with active caregivers, dropped substantially in overload and increased in mastery and guilt.

Abstract

This study analyzes short-term bereavement adaptation among caregivers to spouses or parents with a progressive dementia, assessing changes in depression, mastery, overload, and guilt to examine the impact of bereavement on caregivers, and the characteristics of caregiver experience that affect bereavement adaptation. The bereavement group, as compared with active caregivers, dropped substantially in overload and increased in mastery and guilt. Depression showed a curvilinear trend, declining from the time of death and then rising to preloss levels by the end of the year. Caregiver stressors, baseline adaptation, relationship difficulties, and psychological preparation were all related to changes in well-being.