Nancy J. Karlin

Long-term consequences of the Alzheimer's caregiver role: A qualitative analysis

A qualitative analysis was performed on responses of 51 participants to open-ended questions about the experience of being family caregivers for a loved one affected by Alzheimers disease. Participants had been in the caregiver role for at least eight years. Results indicated a pattern of adapting successfully or unsuccessfully to the caregiver role, experiencing initial caregiver burden, finding relief in social support when available, and longterm distress or long-term positive change. Memories and feelings were strong about individuals and institutions that had been helpful or indifferent many years earlier as the caregivers struggled to cope with their unplanned predicament.

Measuring Serious Leisure in Chess: Model Confirmation and Method Bias

The serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was tested with 348 chess players to confirm the factors, assess the effects of method bias, and propose a set of the best-performing items for the 18 factor SLIM. The 54-item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit and reliability values. The effect of method bias was evidenced in the sample and explained one-third of the variance. Inspection of factor loadings, when controlling for method bias, yielded one best-performing item per factor. Findings indicate method bias continues to be problematic for self-report measures such as the SLIM.

Comparison of efficacy and age discrimination between psychology and nursing students.

Abstract This study considered two types of age discrimination (youth and elder) and related scale scores for 108 psychology students and 81 nursing students. The current study found that although the nursing students had a significantly larger number of courses related to aging, both nursing and psychology students reported low levels of age discrimination. Overall, attitudes of both the nursing and psychology students toward both young and elder populations were positive. Nursing students held higher levels of efficacy with regards to working with the elder population in comparison to psychology students.

Aging in Saudi Arabia An Exploratory Study of Contemporary Older Persons’ Views About Daily Life, Health, and the Experience of Aging

Objective: This exploratory study sought to measure current self-reported experiences of older Saudi adults. Method: Self-reported aging perceptions and demographic data from semistructured questions were obtained from 52 community-dwelling older Saudi adults aged 50 or older. A thematic content analysis was completed around issues of family life/social support, daily/weekly activities, health and health programs, and older adults’ own thoughts about aging and the experience and future of personal aging. Results: Several key themes emerged from the interviews. The majority of respondents in this preliminary study acknowledge a preference for family care. Formal programs in Saudi Arabia are attended with relative infrequency while older adults recognize family support as the preferred method of support. Older Saudi interviewees hold a positive view of aging, but physical functioning, varying financial resources, and other daily obligations are a concern for those in this study. Discussion: Data suggest as the Saudi population ages, more research is needed on the aging experience with particiular emphasis on issues relevant to older adults . Future research must work to clarify the aging experience as cultural context changes.

Assessing Alzheimer's support group particpation: A retrospective follow-up:

Conflicting findings have been reported on whether attending an Alzheimers disease (AD) support group is a positive or negative experience. As a result, the present study provides the results from a retrospective analysis of the effects of caregiver support groups over an eight year period. The results suggest that those in distress are the most likely to attend support groups, and the benefits of attending become more apparent over time. The primary reason given by participants for having stopped attending support groups was the lack of a program for those who no longer are active care providers. Many of these same individuals indicated a marked interest in caregiver issues, but felt that most of the information provided was for those providers early in the care process. Thus, support groups that consider caregiver transitions may prove of interest.

Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivation, and Exercise in Older Adults

A predominate motivation theory used to predict exercise behavior is self-determination theory, which posits that motivation is driven by satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study investigates the relationship between motivation, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and exercise in a sample of older adults. Significant differences were found between older adult exercisers and nonexercisers in intrinsic motivation, self-determined extrinsic motivation, nonself-determined extrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study suggests that self-determination theory is a suitable framework to investigate older adult exercise behaviors.

Preservice teachers’ self efficacy and knowledge of emotional and behavioural disorders

This research examined preservice teachers’ knowledge of emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) and their sense of efficacy. The participants included a convenience sample of 230 undergraduate general education and special education preservice teachers enrolled in teacher education classes. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 51 with a mean age of 23.37 years (SD = 6.8 years). The Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) (long form) and Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioural Disorders questionnaire were administered. The participants had higher efficacy in instructional strategies, classroom management, and instructional abilities than in student engagement. There was no significant correlation between field experience, additional coursework, and familiarity with a child with EBD and the preservice teachers’ knowledge of EBD or self efficacy. This information is relevant to teacher programme coordinators indicating that further efforts should be made to increase preservice teachers’ knowledge of EBD, and to provide strategies for identifying and working with students with EBD in classrooms.

Comparisons Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Informal Caregivers

This study focuses on understanding similarities and differences between non-Hispanic White and Hispanic informal caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Comparisons take place between caregivers reporting high levels of burden as indicated by the Zarit Burden Inventory. Data suggest similarities and differences between Hispanic (n = 17) and non-Hispanic White (n = 17) caregivers in this study in several areas. Hispanic caregivers indicated fewer sources of income, had less investment money for family member’s treatment, reported caregiving as a greater interference with life’s accomplishments, and indicated a lesser percentage of the total care cost provided by the family member. Non-Hispanic White caregivers reported having completed a higher level of formal education and that organized religion’s importance prior to becoming a caregiver was not quite as important as compared with the Hispanic care provider. With current trends, of demographic and cultural changes, it is crucial to fully understand the changing role and needs of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic White caregivers.

Differences in caregivers of demented and lucid chronically ill family members

The relationship between social support, mood states, and burden was studied in 63 caregivers of chronically ill family members. These caregivers were categorized as providing care for either chronically ill demented or lucid family members. Contact was made with participating caregivers and their medical personnel so as to verify that reported illness did not overlap in both categories (e.g., AIDS with dementia). No differences were evident between caregivers of demented and lucid family members on age, gender, familial relationship, use of formal support, number of health problems or hours spent with the family member Caregivers of demented family members differ from caregivers of lucid chronically ill family members in the level of expressed emotional burden, and amount of revealed fatigue/inertia. However, differences between these caregivers were not evident on levels for time, social, developmental, or physical burden as measured by the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CRI); nor were differences evident on dimensions of tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility vigor activity, or confusion-bewilderment as measured by the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Social Support, Mood, and Resiliency Following a Peruvian Natural Disaster

The intent of this research project was to collect data from individuals in Vina Vieja, Peru, who experienced a devastating earthquake in 2007 and two subsequent earthquakes in 2010. Collected in June 2010, these data for 35 individuals were analyzed using independent sample t tests and qualitative theme analysis. When added to findings from a previous study of Hurricane Katrina survivors in 2006, the present research about the Peruvian experience in Vina Vieja fills a conceptual gap pertaining to understanding factors that predict resiliency among survivors of natural disasters. It is part of an ongoing interdisciplinary research project that seeks to understand how resilience is experienced within and across cultures and to create a conceptual framework for resilience.