CAREGIVING INTENSITY, STRESS, AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MEXICAN AMERICAN DEMENTIA AND NON-DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS - Abstract citation ID igaf122.1386

Sep 29, 2026

Mexican American caregivers often experience intensive caregiving demands shaped by social and family dynamics. This study tests how social relationships—social support, negative interactions, and familism—mediate links between caregiving intensity and perceived stress, using the stress process paradigm. Data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (Wave 9, N=457) were analyzed with structural equation modeling and multiple-group comparisons across dementia versus non-dementia caregivers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages2

Reading Time5 min

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Abstract

Study focus and framework

Data and analytical approach

Key findings

Implications for interventions

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 407 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1386 CAREGIVING INTENSITY, STRESS, AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MEXICAN AMERICAN DEMENTIA AND NON-DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS Suyoung Kim1, Anna Bokun2, Sunshine Rote3, Flavia Andrade4, Phillip Cantu5, and Jacqueline Angel6, 1. The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 2. The University of Texas at Austin, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3. University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States, 4. University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States, 5. UTMB Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States, 6. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States Mexican American caregivers often face intensive caregiving demands, which may be further complicated or protected by social and family dynamics. This study examines the mediating roles of social relationships, including support, negative interactions, and familism, in the relationship between caregiving intensity and perceived stress. Using the stress process paradigm, we assess whether these factors increase or reduce caregiver perceived stress and explore differences between dementia and non-dementia caregivers. Data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (Wave 9, N = 457) were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Social support, negative interaction, familism, and perceived stress were modeled as latent constructs. A multiple-group SEM approach assessed differences in caregiving paths between dementia and non-dementia caregivers. Caregiving intensity was negatively associated with social support and familism but positively linked to negative interactions. Social support significantly buffered the relationship between caregiving intensity and perceived stress, whereas negative interactions exacerbated it. Dementia caregivers reported a stronger association between 408 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 caregiving intensity and perceived stress than non-dementia caregivers. Social support helped reduce stress more for non-dementia caregivers, while negative interactions had a greater impact on dementia caregivers. High-intensity caregiving is associated with increased stress, particularly among dementia caregivers in Mexican American communities. Social relationships play a complex role, both alleviating and exacerbating caregiver burden. These findings underscore the need for interventions that strengthen support networks, reduce negative family dynamics, and address the unique challenges facing dementia caregivers, ultimately improving caregiver well-being and care sustainability.

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study?

To examine whether social relationships mediate the relationship between caregiving intensity and perceived stress, and to compare pathways between dementia and non-dementia caregivers.

How were social relationships measured in the analysis?

Social support, negative interactions, and familism were modeled as latent constructs within a structural equation modeling framework.

What differences did the study find between dementia and non-dementia caregivers?

Caregiving intensity was more strongly associated with perceived stress for dementia caregivers. Social support reduced stress more for non-dementia caregivers, while negative interactions had a greater impact on dementia caregivers.

Sep 29, 2026

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