Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers: Validation of the Spanish version using biomarkers and quality-of-life measures.

Hispanic family caregivers of people with dementia experience higher levels of stress compared to non-Hispanic white caregivers. Long-term stress causes depression, caregiver burden, cellular aging, and dysregulation of the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the Spanish version of the English Stress-Busting Program (SBP) for Family Caregivers by determining changes in quality-of-life measures and biomarkers. Thirty-six caregivers completed the SBP in the language of their choice (14 Spanish-speaking Hispanics [HS], 8 English-speaking Hispanics [HE], and 14 non-Hispanic English [NHE] speakers). Quality-of-life measures included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Screen for Caregiver Burden, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Assessment of oral health and immunity included salivary flow rate, pH, buffer capacity, total protein, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Indicators of stress (salivary cortisol), inflammation (C-reactive protein), and cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length) were assessed. Following completion of the SBP, the Spanish-speaking group had less depression and caregiver burden along with improved oral health and reduced cellular aging. When comparing baseline values to post-intervention, all three groups showed significant improvement in subjective caregiver burden. When the data from all three groups were combined, biomarkers that showed improvement after nine weeks of SBP included the stress hormone cortisol, salivary pH, and leukocyte telomere length. The results indicate that the Spanish SBP reduces caregiver stress as assessed by quality-of-life indicators and biomarkers. The Spanish SBP can help to mitigate health disparities in Hispanic Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Resolving to go forward: the experience of Latino/Hispanic family caregivers.

Little is known about the experiences and needs of family caregivers of Latino/Hispanic individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) during the early years of recovery. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to describe the experiences and identify the informational, decisional, interpersonal, and resource support needs of family caregivers of newly injured Latino/Hispanic individuals with SCI during the first 2 years after undergoing rehabilitation. "Resolving to go forward" was the core category that emerged from two simultaneous processes of "learning to care for" and "getting through" during the initial years as the primary informal caregiver. Most caregivers felt alone and abandoned after the injured person returned home, and experienced barriers to services and resources primarily because of language issues and economic status. We recommend that researchers develop and evaluate culturally appropriate, informal caregiving models to improve outcomes for both Latino individuals with SCI and their family caregivers.

A stress-busting program for family caregivers.

Aging baby boomers, longer life spans, and rising levels of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) will result in a caregiver crisis in the near future. The ways in which caregivers deal with stresses related to caregiving will be critical to both their own well-being and their ability to care for others. The purpose of this article is to describe the Stress-Busting Program (SBP) for family caregivers and its effectiveness. The essential components of the SBP are education, stress management, problem solving, and support delivered in a group setting for 9 weeks. Results of the SBP indicate that throughout the program, caregivers experienced significant improvements in general health, vitality, social function, and mental health scores and decreases in anxiety, anger/hostility, depression, perceived stress, and caregiver burden. The SBP is a cost-effective health-promotion strategy for caregivers who have substantial ongoing stress.