Ashamed Caregivers : Self-Stigma, Information, andCoping among Dementia Patient Families

The number ofpeople living with dementia increases almost every year, and the majority ofthe care system for these individuals is often made up of close family members.This study investigates the relationship between family caregivers’cross-checking of information with healthcare providers and patient healthoutcomes. Specifically, we examined whether this relationship was mediated bycaregivers’ enhanced coping efficacy. We also tested the moderation effect offamily caregivers’ affiliate stigma on information cross-checking, copingefficacy, and coping outcomes. Using a survey of 226 family caregivers ofdementia patients in South Korea, this study tested the moderated mediationmodel with the PROCESS macro.Results indicate that low affiliate stigma moderates copingefficacy on the relationship between information cross-checking and dementiapatients’ health outcomes. Further implications for family caregiving andgeneral dementia care are discussed.