Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
Roya Samadi, Naghmeh Mokhber, Farhad Faridhosseini, Mehri B Haghighi and Shervin Assari
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran
University of Michigan, USA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Statement of the Problem: Patients with Alzheimer�s disease may require persistent care. This may have a large impact on the caregivers� quality of life and predisposes them to psychological distress. Spirituality, however, may act as a buffer and enhance their adaptability with stressful conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between socio-economic status, spirituality and symptoms of depression in a sample of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer�s disease. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: In this cross-sectional study, 209 outpatients with moderate Alzheimer�s disease (using DSM-IV criteria and MMSE test) and their caregivers were selected. Patients� and caregivers� demographic and socioeconomic data were recorded. The Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale were completed by caregivers. Findings: The prevalence of high depressive symptoms was 45%. Economic status of caregivers had relationship with spirituality, as the poor group had more spirituality than the non-poor. There was no association between gender and spirituality dimensions. High spirituality was correlated with low depressive symptoms. Conclusion & Significance: Symptoms of depression are highly prevalent in Alzheimer caregivers and are associated with spirituality. Spirituality itself may be a function of socio-economic status. Spirituality based interventions, particularly among those with higher socio-economic status maybe a useful strategy to promote mental health and quality of life of caregivers. More descriptive and interventional studies are required before adding the spiritual counseling to routine helping programs for caregivers.
Email: Royasamadi10@gmail.com