Family caregivers of individuals with frontotemporal dementia: examining the relationship between coping and caregiver physical and mental health.

To identify strategies to assist family caregivers of individuals with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in dealing with their caregiving demands, nurses must understand these family members' unique needs and how they currently deal with their demands. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between coping and caregiver physical and mental health among FTD family caregivers. Participants were primary caregivers of individuals with FTD (with behavioral symptoms) living at home (N = 61). A small positive association was noted between problem-focused coping and caregiver physical health (r = 0.29, p < 0.05), and a small but nonsignificant positive correlation was noted between emotion-focused coping and caregiver mental health (r = 0.21, p = 0.10). However, multiple regression analysis showed that emotion-focused coping (ß = 0.46, p < 0.05) made a statistically significant, unique contribution to caregiver mental health and explained approximately 14% of its variance. These findings support the potential value of emotion-focused coping strategies when dealing with behavioral symptoms manifested by individuals with FTD.

Frontotemporal dementia: the impact of patient behavioral symptoms on the physical and mental health of family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Providing informal support to someone with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) could be very stressful. Clarifying the relationship between patient behavioral problems and caregiver health could spur future research on effective symptom management strategies. METHODS: Sixty-one FTD family caregivers participated in a postal survey. RESULTS: Patient symptom severity was negatively associated with caregiver mental health (r = -0.26, p < 0.05) but not significantly associated with caregiver physical health. In a regression analysis, caregiver emotional distress from patient behaviors made a statistically significant contribution to caregiver mental health, explaining approximately 10% of its variance. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the importance of focusing on FTD caregivers' perceived emotional distress from patient behavioral problems and ensuring they are getting the appropriate support they need.