Five-factor Personality Traits and Subjective Health Among Caregivers: the Role of Caregiver Strain and Self-efficacy

Overview

Journal Psychol Aging

Publisher American Psychological Association

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2011 Mar 23

PMID 21417534

Citations 24

Authors

Corinna E Lockenhoff

Paul R Duberstein

Bruce Friedman

Paul T Costa Jr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study examined the association among caregivers' five-factor personality traits and subjective health with particular emphasis on the role of two theoretically implicated mediators: multi-domain self-efficacy and caregiver strain. The sample comprised 536 informal caregivers (mean age = 62.9 years, SD = 19.9, 72% female, 98% White) of community-dwelling older adults with multiple functional impairments. Both physical health and mental health were negatively associated with neuroticism and positively associated with extraversion and conscientiousness. Agreeableness and openness were associated with better subjective mental health and physical health, respectively. Multiple mediation analyses indicated that self-efficacy mediated all observed associations between personality and subjective health, whereas caregiver strain selectively mediated the associations of neuroticism and agreeableness with mental health.

Citing Articles

Early Childhood Adversity Predicts Risk of Family Caregiver Suicidal Ideation:Roles of Neuroticism and Self-Compassion.

Jain F, Gutierrez-Ramirez P, Zea M, Okereke O, Van Orden K, Pedrelli P Res Sq. 2024; .

PMID: 39372937 PMC: 11451634. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4803419/v1.

Self-Assessment Instruments for Supporting Family Caregivers: An Integrative Review.

Benedetti F, Hechinger M, Fringer A Healthcare (Basel). 2024; 12(10).

PMID: 38786426 PMC: 11120749. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12101016.

Trait resilience as a moderator between personality dysfunction and caregiving stress in caregivers of children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Iacob C, Folostina R, Avram E Int J Dev Disabil. 2024; 70(3):425-434.

PMID: 38699495 PMC: 11062279. DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2092934.

Personality metatraits predict resilience among family caregivers responsible for a dependent youth's chronic respiratory management.

Dong S, Elliott T, Luo W, Warren A, Warren R BMC Psychol. 2022; 10(1):85.

PMID: 35365207 PMC: 8973997. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00791-y.

The Moderating Effects of Personal Resources on Caregiver Burden in Carers of Alzheimer's Patients.

Soltys A, Bidzan M, Tyburski E Front Psychiatry. 2021; 12:772050.

PMID: 34916974 PMC: 8669799. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.772050.

References

Monahan D, Hooker K . Health of spouse caregivers of dementia patients: the role of personality and social support. Soc Work. 1995; 40(3):305-14. View

Bookwala J, Schulz R . The role of neuroticism and mastery in spouse caregivers' assessment of and response to a contextual stressor. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1998; 53(3):P155-64. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/53b.3.p155. View

Roberts B, Walton K, Viechtbauer W . Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychol Bull. 2006; 132(1):1-25. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.1. View

Hooker K, Monahan D, Bowman S, Frazier L, Shifren K . Personality counts for a lot: predictors of mental and physical health of spouse caregivers in two disease groups. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1998; 53(2):P73-85. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/53b.2.p73. View

Preacher K, Hayes A . Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behav Res Methods. 2008; 40(3):879-91. DOI: 10.3758/brm.40.3.879. View

Folstein M, Folstein S, McHugh P . "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975; 12(3):189-98. DOI: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. View

Rabins P, Fitting M, Eastham J, Zabora J . Emotional adaptation over time in care-givers for chronically ill elderly people. Age Ageing. 1990; 19(3):185-90. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/19.3.185. View

Lawton M, Moss M, KLEBAN M, Glicksman A, Rovine M . A two-factor model of caregiving appraisal and psychological well-being. J Gerontol. 1991; 46(4):P181-9. DOI: 10.1093/geronj/46.4.p181. View

Duberstein P, Chapman B, Tindle H, Sink K, Bamonti P, Robbins J . Personality and risk for Alzheimer's disease in adults 72 years of age and older: a 6-year follow-up. Psychol Aging. 2010; 26(2):351-62. PMC: 3115437. DOI: 10.1037/a0021377. View

10.

Fengler A, Goodrich N . Wives of elderly disabled men: the hidden patients. Gerontologist. 1979; 19(2):175-83. DOI: 10.1093/geront/19.2.175. View

11.

Koerner S, Kenyon D, Shirai Y . Caregiving for elder relatives: which caregivers experience personal benefits/gains?. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2008; 48(2):238-45. DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2008.01.015. View

12.

Kim Y, Duberstein P, Sorensen S, Larson M . Levels of depressive symptoms in spouses of people with lung cancer: effects of personality, social support, and caregiving burden. Psychosomatics. 2005; 46(2):123-30. DOI: 10.1176/appi.psy.46.2.123. View

13.

Zarit S, Gatz M . Symptoms of psychological distress among caregivers of dementia patients. Psychol Aging. 1988; 3(3):245-8. DOI: 10.1037//0882-7974.3.3.245. View

14.

Rodin J, McAvay G . Determinants of change in perceived health in a longitudinal study of older adults. J Gerontol. 1992; 47(6):P373-84. DOI: 10.1093/geronj/47.6.p373. View

15.

Jang Y, Clay O, Roth D, Haley W, Mittelman M . Neuroticism and longitudinal change in caregiver depression: impact of a spouse-caregiver intervention program. Gerontologist. 2004; 44(3):311-7. DOI: 10.1093/geront/44.3.311. View

16.

Bandura A . Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977; 84(2):191-215. DOI: 10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191. View

17.

Rosenthal C, Matthews S, Marshall V . Is parent care normative? The experiences of a sample of middle-aged women. Res Aging. 1989; 11(2):244-60. DOI: 10.1177/0164027589112006. View

18.

Idler E, Benyamini Y . Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. J Health Soc Behav. 1997; 38(1):21-37. View

19.

Goldberg L . An alternative "description of personality": the big-five factor structure. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1990; 59(6):1216-29. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.59.6.1216. View

20.

Bogg T, Roberts B . Conscientiousness and health-related behaviors: a meta-analysis of the leading behavioral contributors to mortality. Psychol Bull. 2004; 130(6):887-919. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.130.6.887. View