Abstract

• Purpose
  This study was to identify important predictors of depression among characteristics of caregiving situation and utilized resources in order to provide basic information for effective nursing interventions to reduce depression experienced by family caregivers of older adults with dementia.
• Method
  Seventy one family caregivers were identified from community service centers and face-to-face interviewed using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression using SPSS WIN 10.0 program.
• Result
  Family caregivers reported high levels of depression, moderate levels of social support, and moderate utilization of coping strategies. Female caregivers who (β=.22) utilized ‘negative’ coping strategies more often (β=.48) and ‘cognitive reconstructuring’ coping strategies less often (β=-.23) were more likely to report higher depression (R²=0.63).
• Conclusion
  Nursing interventions increasing family caregivers' utilization of positive coping strategies such as problem solving, existential growth, and help seeking and decreasing their utilization of negative coping strategies such as self-blaming are needed to decrease their depression levels.
• Keywords: Dementia; Caregivers; Coping; Social support; Depression

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