Cognition in informal caregivers: evidence from an English population study.

The relationship between caregiving and cognition remains unclear. We investigate this association comparing four cognitive tasks and exploring the role of potential explanatory pathways such as healthy behaviours (healthy caregiver hypothesis) and depression (stress process model). Respondents were...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aging & Mental Health Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 507 - 519
Main Authors: García-Castro, F. Javier, Bendayan, Rebecca, Dobson, Richard J. B., Blanca, María J.
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mar2022
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=155469330&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 155469330
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        13607863
        57E
      jtl: Aging & Mental Health
      issn: 13607863
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2022
      vid: 26
      iid: 3
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
    artinfo:
      ui:
        155469330
        10.1080/13607863.2021.1893270
      ppf: 507
      ppct: 12
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Cognition in informal caregivers: evidence from an English population study.
      aug:
        au:
          García-Castro, F. Javier
          Bendayan, Rebecca
          Dobson, Richard J. B.
          Blanca, María J.
        affil:
          Department of Psychobiology and Behavioral Sciences Methodology, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
          Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
          NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley, NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
          Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
          Health Data Research UK London, University College London, London, UK
          NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
      su:
        Memory
        Executive function
        Caregivers
        Cognition
        Task performance
        Mental depression
        Health behavior
        English people
        Regression analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Memory
          Executive function
          Caregivers
          Cognition
          Task performance
          Mental depression
          Health behavior
          English people
          Regression analysis
      keyword:
        caregiving duration
        executive function
        older adults
        Verbal memory
        caregiving duration
        executive function
        older adults
        Verbal memory
      ab: The relationship between caregiving and cognition remains unclear. We investigate this association comparing four cognitive tasks and exploring the role of potential explanatory pathways such as healthy behaviours (healthy caregiver hypothesis) and depression (stress process model). Respondents were from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (N = 8910). Cognitive tasks included immediate and delayed word recall, verbal fluency and serial 7 subtraction. Series of hierarchical linear regressions were performed. Adjustments included socio-demographics, health related variables, health behaviours and depression. Being a caregiver was positively associated with immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency but not with serial 7. For immediate and delayed recall, these associations were partially attenuated when adjusting for health behaviours, and depression. For verbal fluency, associations were partially attenuated when adjusting for depression but fully attenuated when adjusting for health behaviours. No associations were found for serial 7. Our findings show that caregivers have higher level of memory and executive function compared to non-caregivers. For memory, we found that although health behaviours and depression can have a role in this association, they do not fully explain it. However, health behaviours seem to have a clear role in the association with executive function. Public health and policy do not need to target specifically cognitive function but other areas as the promotion of healthy behaviours and psychological adjustment such as preventing depression and promoting physical activity in caregivers.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N