When a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...: a study of carers' knowledge about dementia, preferred coping style and psychological distress

• Published in: International journal of geriatric psychiatry Vol. 17; no. 12; pp. 1133 - 1139
• Main Authors: Proctor, Rebekah, Martin, Carol, Hewison, Jenny
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-12-2002; Wiley
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety Disorders - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Caregivers - education; Caregivers - psychology; carer strain; coping style; Dementia - psychology; dementia knowledge; Depressive Disorder - etiology; Female; Geriatrics; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; monitoring and blunting; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Therapeutical relation and framework; Treatments; Mood disorder; Performance evaluation; Human; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Zigmond Snaith; Nervous system diseases; Statistical analysis; Questionnaire; Caregiver; Behavioral Style Scale Miller; Depression; Knowledge; Morbidity; Cerebral disorder; Senile dementia; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Anxiety; Coping; Psychopathology; Psychiatry; Dementia; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 0885-6230; 1099-1166
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.762

Objectives
The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the relationship between carers' existing knowledge about dementia, their coping style and psychological morbidity.
Method
Fifty carers and patients attending day services were recruited. Carers were given questionnaires to assess knowledge of dementia, preferred coping style, anxiety, depression and strain.
Results
The results indicated that carers who demonstrated more knowledge about the biomedical aspects of dementia were more anxious (p < 0.05). Furthermore, carers who had a preferred coping style of monitoring for threat relevant information were more anxious (p < 0.005).
Conclusions
Understanding more about those factors that are associated with knowledge about dementia will help to identify profiles of carers who are in need of education and in matching individually tailored interventions to carers with specific learning needs. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.