Family Stigma and Caregiver Burden Presentation

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Authors
Roberts, Courtney
Advisor
Issue Date
2013
Keyword
Class Project
Gerontology
Stigma
Burden
Caregivers
Alzheimer's Disease
Degree
Department
Other Identifiers
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Abstract

The effect of stigma on the burden of those who are caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has yet to receive theoretical and empirical testing. The burden that caregivers may feel can be physical, psychological, emotional, social, or financial. This PowerPoint is based off of an article that compared the stigma and burden that families of Alzheimer’s disease receive to the families of those with a mental illness. There are three different factors that can influence the burden: characteristics of the caregiver, characteristics of the person with dementia, and characteristics of the context of the caregiving. The article found that family stigma may prevent caregivers from seeking services that could possibly help reduce the burden they may feel from caregiving. Three different dimensions define the stigma: caregiver stigma, lay public stigma, and structural stigma. The purpose of the study that was conducted was to find out if family stigma is a predictor of caregiver burden in relation to Alzheimer’s disease. The findings from this study show that caregiver stigma increases the burden for caregivers of those with AD. Based on the knowledge that was found, psychosocial interventions should target the stigmatic beliefs in order to reduce the burden that caregivers feel.