In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of the Perceived Quality of the Marital Relationship, Coping, and Depression in Caregivers of Spouses With Alzheimer's Disease

1 Caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex task influenced by numerous factors including the quality of the past and present marital relationship. 2 Assessment of both the caregiver's perception of the quality of the past marital relationship and how he or she traditionally coped with marital discord is important for planning effective interventions. 3 AD support groups that work with both the caregiver and the afflicted spouse on problem-solving skills may strengthen or help preserve the marital relationship.