Bouncing Back from the Burden of Dementia : Predictors of Resilience from the Perspective of the Patient, the Spousal Caregiver, and the Dyad – An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Background: Although there is mounting evidence of dyadic interdependencies between patients with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers, predictors of resilience among PWD and their caregivers are generally regarded in isolation. We therefore investigated how dyadic interdependencies regarding common resilience factors predict subjective notions of individual resilience. Methods: A total of 29 dyads (caregivers: 23 female, 73 ± 7 years; PWD: 6 female, 76 ± 6 years, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score: 18 ± 6) drawn from two studies answered questions about resilience (Brief Resilience Scale; BRS), partnership quality (Marital Quality Questionnaire; PFB), and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale; GDS-15). Using linear regression models, we predicted BRS scores by linearly combining individual characteristics (intraindividual level), characteristics of the partner (interindividual level), and their dyadic similarity (dyadic level). Results: Intraindividually, higher resilience in caregivers was associated with female sex; interindividually, it was associated with lower MMSE scores and higher PFB scores in PWD. On a dyadic level, the more different the GDS-15 scores were, the higher the resilience of caregivers. For PWD, higher resilience was significantly related to individual lower GDS-15 scores and higher PFB scores, while the characteristics of caregivers did not explain any variance. However, similarity in GDS-15 scores predicted higher resilience in PWD. Discussion: Resilience is affected differently in PWD and caregivers, potentially pointing to different strategies in coping with disease-related changes. Future studies are necessary to examine the mechanisms underlying resilience in PWD and their respective caregiver in order to tailor interventions that address the needs of both parties, from the individual, interindividual, and dyadic perspectives.