EFFECTS OF AN INFORMATIONAL SUPPORT STRATEGY ON LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS FOR PRIMARY FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS.
Contributors: Clemson University.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 158
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.
Description: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an informational support strategy on the perceived stress of Alzheimer's patient caregivers. A purposive sample of Alzheimer's caregivers was selected from 6 Alzheimer's support groups located within the Upstate of South Carolina. The caregivers were systematically randomly assigned to two groups, experimental (n = 29) and control (n = 28). The experimental group received three two-hour informational sessions over a two month period spaced evenly apart. The control group did not receive the informational series. After completion of the informational series, the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) was administered to both the experimental and control groups.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) used to determine if informational support decreased perceived stress of Alzheimer's caregivers at the 0.05 significance level suggests that there were no significance differences between the experimental and control groups. In addition, no significant differences were found for anxiety, depression or hostility as measured by the BSI.

Significant differences were found when demographic variables were applied. These differences were noted if the caregiver was a daughter-in-law, if health was considered poor and if socioeconomic conditions were perceived as inadequate.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-09, Section: B, page: 4818.

Thesis (ED.D.)--CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, 1994.

School code: 0050.