Family Caregivers’ Progress Toward Values Moderates the Associations between Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia, Caregiver Burden, and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Increasingly, dementia caregiver interventions are informed by acceptance-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These interventions promote psychological skills like psychological flexibility and value-based living. Less is known how these constructs interact within well-established caregiver stress processes. We examined a moderated mediation model (N = 161 dementia caregivers; PROCESS Procedure; SPSS Release 4.1), with BPSD frequency (Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist) predicting depressive symptoms (10-item CES-D), mediated via caregiver burden (short Burden inventory). The moderator was the Values Questionnaire, and we controlled for gender, caregiver duration, age, income, and education. Results: revealed that the indirect effect of BPSD on depressive symptoms through caregiver burden was weakened through higher progress toward values (moderated mediation significant at p < .05). Committed action toward values signify caregivers’ success at balancing care-related stress with other priorities. Interventions that build skills in values-based living have promise for caregivers, offering healthier ways to adjust to being a caregiver.