Influence of hope, social support, and self-esteem in early stage dementia:

BackgroundPeople in the early stages of dementia adjust to the illness through stages of awareness, coping, and evaluation. Studies have found that hope, social support, and self-esteem facilitate coping, adjustment, and adaptation in chronic illness.ObjectiveThe purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationships between hope, social support, and self-esteem in individuals with early stage dementia.MethodsData were obtained from 53 individuals with early stage dementia. The scores on the Herth Hope Index, Social Support Questionnaire Short-Form, and the State Self-Esteem Scale were analyzed using linear regression.ResultsHope was moderately associated with self-esteem (r = .49, p < .001). Hope accounted for 25% of the variance in self-esteem and was a key component in predicting self-esteem. No significant relationship was found between social support and self-esteem.ConclusionFindings suggest that hope may be an important factor to help individuals manage potential threats to self-esteem ...