Aggressive behavior is a common symptom of mid- to late-stage Alzheimers disease, causing unique challenges for caregivers and healthcare professionals. In previous research, aggressive behavior related to dementia was linked to higher caregiver distress and burden. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an aggressive behavior subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) among Alzheimers disease caregivers. The subscale measures the frequency of aggressive behavior and the caregivers reaction. The sample consisted of 419 caregivers reporting some frequency of aggressive behavior by the care recipient. Exploratory factor analysis was favorable. Convergent validity for the aggressive behavior subscale was established through its correlations with caregiver burden, caregiver coping style, and caregiver resilience. The association of these factors was theoretically demonstrated through the Pearlin Stress Process Model. In the current study, aggressive behavior was shown to be associated with a significant increase in caregiver burden and the use of emotion- and avoidance-focused coping techniques, and significant decrease in caregiver resilience. The scale was shown to be reliable, with significant inter-item correlations. The results concluded an aggressive behavior subscale of the RMBPC is a valid and reliable measure for Alzheimers disease caregivers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-04052011-105808 |
| Date | 05 April 2011 |
| Creators | Little, Kristina |
| Contributors | Wilks, Scott E., Cain, Daphne S., Guin, Cecile C. |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04052011-105808/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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