Definition
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome in which a person has problems with memory, language, or other essential cognitive abilities that are noticeable to self and others and detectable on cognitive tests, but often are not severe enough to interfere with most functions of daily life (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011; Petersen, 2004). As many as 10–20 % of people age 65 and older have MCI, but only about 15 % of them will progress to further stages of cognitive impairment (Amieva et al., 2004). Given the uncertainty about the prognosis of MCI and attendant anxiety about progressive memory loss and further deterioration, family members, especially spouses, are likely to experience MCI as a stressful situation.
Description
Theoretical Framework. The majority of research that has examined stress, coping, and well-being among family...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adam, E. K., Hawkley, L. C., Kudielka, B. M., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2006). Day-to-day dynamics of experience-cortisol associations in a population-based sample of older adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103, 17058–17063. doi:10.1073/pnas.0605053103.
Alzheimer’s Association. (2011). Generation Alzheimer’s: The defining disease of the baby boomers. Retrieved from Alzheimer’s Association website: .
Amieva, H., Letenneur, L., Dartigues, J.-F., Rouch-Leroyer, I., Sourgen, C., D’Alchée-Birée, F., et al. (2004). Annual rate and predictors of conversion to dementia in subjects presenting mild cognitive impairment criteria defined according to a population-based study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 18, 87–93. doi:10.1159/000077815.
Blieszner, R., & Roberto, K. A. (2009). The role of gender in coping with mild cognitive impairment. Atlanta, GA: The Gerontological Society of America.
Blieszner, R., & Roberto, K. A. (2010). Care partner responses to the onset of mild cognitive impairment. The Gerontologist, 50, 11–22. doi:10.1093/geront/gnp068.
Blieszner, R., Roberto, K. A., Wilcox, K. L., Barham, E. J., & Winston, B. L. (2007). Dimensions of ambiguous loss in couples coping with mild cognitive impairment. Family Relations, 56, 195–208. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00452.x.
Brossoie, N., Roberto, K. A., & Blieszner, R. (2009). Nobody likes to admit what is going on: Avoidance behaviors of families coping with MCI. Atlanta, GA: The Gerontological Society of America.
Bruce, J. M., McQuiggan, M., Williams, V., Westervelt, H., & Tremont, G. (2008). Burden among spousal and child caregivers of patients with mild cognitive impairment. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 25, 385–390. doi:10.1159/000122587.
Calasanti, T., & Bowen, M. E. (2006). Spousal caregiving and crossing gender boundaries: Maintaining gendered identities. Journal of Aging Studies, 20, 253–263. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2005.08.001.
Fries, E., Dettenborn, L., & Kirschbaum, C. (2009). The cortisol awakening response (CAR): Facts and future directions. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 72, 67–73. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.03.014.
Garand, L., Dew, M. A., Eazor, L. R., Dekosky, S. T., & Reynolds, C. F. (2005). Caregiving burden and psychiatric morbidity in spouses of persons with mild cognitive impairment. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20, 512–522. doi:10.1002/gps.1318.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., McGuire, L., Robles, T. F., & Glaser, R. (2002). Emotions, morbidity, and mortality: New perspectives from psychoneuroimmunology. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 83–107. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135217.
Lu, Y.-F. Y., Austrom, M. G., Perkins, S. M., Bakas, T., Farlow, M. R., He, F., et al. (2007). Depressed mood in informal caregivers of individuals with mild cognitive impairment. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 22, 273–285. doi:10.1177/1533317507301367.
McIlvane, J. M., Popa, M. A., Robinson, B., Houseweart, K., & Haley, W. E. (2008). Perceptions of illness, coping, and well-being in persons with mild cognitive impairment and their care partners. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 22, 284–292. doi:10.1097/WAD.0b013e318169d714.
Pearlin, L. I., Mullan, J. T., Semple, S. J., & Skaff, M. M. (1990). Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. The Gerontologist, 30, 583–594. doi:10.1093/geront/30.5.583.
Petersen, R. C. (2004). Mild cognitive impairment as a diagnostic entity [Key symposium]. Journal of Internal Medicine, 256, 183–194. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2004.01388.x.
Roberto, K. A., Blieszner, R., McCann, B., & McPherson, M. (2011). Family triad perceptions of mild cognitive impairment. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66, 756–768. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr107.
Savla, J., Roberto, K. A., Blieszner, R., Cox, M., & Gwazdauskas, F. (2011). Effects of daily stressors on the psychological and biological well-being of spouses of persons with mild cognitive impairment. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66, 653–664. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr041.
Schulz, R., & Beach, S. R. (1999). Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 2215–2219. doi:10.1001/jama.282.23.2215.
Vitaliano, P. P., Zhang, J., & Scanlan, J. M. (2003). Is caregiving hazardous to one’s physical health? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 946–972. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.6.946.
Wahben, H., Kishiyama, S. S., Zajdel, D., & Oken, B. S. (2008). Salivary cortisol awakening response in mild Alzheimer disease, caregivers and noncaregivers. Alzheimer’s Diseases and Associated Disorders, 22, 181–183. doi:10.1097/WAD.0b013e31815a9dff.
Yee, J. L., & Schulz, R (2000). Gender differences in psychiatric morbidity among family caregivers: a review and analysis. Gerontologist, 40(2), 147–164.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this entry
Cite this entry
Savla, J., Roberto, K.A., Blieszner, R. (2014). Well-Being of Spouses of Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3863
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3863
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0752-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0753-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law