Daily Caregiving Time and Spousal Caregivers’ Well-Being
Author Information
Author(s): Yang Iris, Wilson Stephanie
Primary Institution: Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, United States; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Hypothesis
How do positive and negative marital interactions moderate the association between caregiving time and caregiver affect?
Conclusion
The study found that while caregiving is generally linked with psychological burden, positive marital interactions can help reduce negative feelings associated with increased caregiving time.
Supporting Evidence
- The study involved 212 spousal caregivers and collected 1689 days of data.
- Daily marital strain did not significantly moderate the relationship between caregiving time and negative affect.
- Marital uplifts reduced the association between increased caregiving time and negative affect.
- At the between-person level, marital strain moderated the association between caregiving time and positive affect.
Takeaway
Taking care of someone can be tough, but having good interactions with your partner can make it easier.
Methodology
An 8-day daily diary study using multi-level modeling to analyze caregiver experiences.
Participant Demographics
Spousal caregivers participating in the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS).
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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