Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in spousal caregivers of people with dementia: An experience sampling study

Caregivers differ in their emotional response when facing difficult situations during the caregiving process. Individual differences in vulnerabilities and resources could play an exacerbating or buffering role in caregivers’ reactivity to daily life stress. This study examines which caregiver characteristics modify emotional stress reactivity in dementia caregivers. Methods: Thirty caregivers collected momentary data, as based on the experience sampling methodology, to assess (1) appraised subjective stress related to events and minor disturbances in daily life, and (2) emotional reactivity to these daily life stressors, conceptualized as changes in negative affect. Caregiver characteristics (i.e. vulnerabilities and resources) were administered retrospectively. Results: Caregivers who more frequently used the coping strategies ‘seeking distraction’, ‘seeking social support’, and ‘fostering reassuring thoughts’ experienced less emotional reactivity towards stressful daily events. A higher educational level and a higher sense of competence and mastery lowered emotional reactivity towards minor disturbances in daily life. No effects were found for age, gender, and hours of care and contact with the person with dementia. Discussion: Caregiver resources can impact emotional reactivity to daily life stress. Interventions aimed at empowerment of caregiver resources, such as sense of competence, mastery, and coping, could help to reduce stress reactivity in dementia caregivers.

照护者在照护流程中遭遇困境时，其情绪反应存在个体差异。个体在易感特质与支持资源上的差异，可对照护者面对日常压力时的反应发挥加剧或缓冲作用。本研究旨在探明哪些照护者特征会调节痴呆照护者的情绪性压力反应。
方法：本研究采用经验取样法（Experience Sampling Methodology），对30名照护者收集瞬时数据，以评估两大维度：(1) 个体对日常事件及轻微困扰所感知到的主观压力；(2) 针对这些日常压力源的情绪反应，该反应被定义为消极情感的变化。研究通过回顾性方式采集照护者的特征数据（即易感特质与支持资源）。
结果：更频繁使用「寻求分心」「寻求社会支持」以及「培养安心想法」三类应对策略的照护者，在面对日常压力事件时的情绪反应程度更低。较高的受教育水平、更强的能力感与掌控感，可降低照护者对日常轻微困扰的情绪反应程度。未发现年龄、性别、照护时长以及与痴呆患者的接触时长对情绪反应存在显著影响。
讨论：照护者的支持资源可对日常压力下的情绪反应产生影响。旨在强化照护者支持资源（如能力感、掌控感与应对能力）的干预方案，或可帮助减轻痴呆照护者的压力反应。