Impact of Substance Use on Caregiver Abuse in Dementia
Author Information
Author(s): Hernandez Jessica, Browning Wesley, Yildiz Mustafa, Winstead Vicki, Pickering Carolyn
Primary Institution: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, United States
Hypothesis
Does polysubstance use increase abusive behaviors among dementia family caregivers, and how does this differ by gender?
Conclusion
Polysubstance use significantly increases the risk of both psychological and physical aggression among dementia family caregivers, especially in males.
Supporting Evidence
- Polysubstance use significantly increases the risk of psychological and physical aggressive behaviors.
- The combination of being male and engaging in polysubstance use is associated with a heightened risk of abusive behaviors.
- Caregiving hours, relationship type, emotional regulation difficulties, caregiver age, and ethnicity were key covariates in the study.
Takeaway
Using multiple substances can make caregivers of people with dementia more likely to be abusive, especially if they are men.
Methodology
Data was analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) over a 21-day period.
Participant Demographics
Caregivers of dementia patients, with a focus on gender differences.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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