A MULTIDIMENSIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF CAREGIVERS OF A DEMENTED RELATIVE

This article focuses on a detailed examination of stressors, their app raised disturbance and a broad range of resources as well as on an ass essment of their relationships with five dimensions of psyche-social w ell-being. Caregivers (n = 265) who cohabit with a demented relative c omposed the sample. The results indicate the importance of a multidime nsional examination of both factors and well-being. Indeed, the salien cy of the occurrence of the stressor and the degree of its disturbance seem to depend on the meaning of the stressor and/or its predictabili ty/unpredictability in relation to a specific dimension of well-being. Only one stressor, the occurrence of disruptive behaviors, is linked to three dimensions of well-being (psychological distress, negative an d positive feelings about the caregiver role). Stressors/appraisal fac tors are most often associated with negative indicators of psychologic al well-being (psychological distress and negative feelings about the caregiver role) than with positive indicators (positive affect and pos itive feelings about the caregiver role), Moreover, positive resources are linked to positive indicators of psychological well-being while n egative resources emerged as relevant for negative indicators.