DYADIC AMBIVALENCE AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN COUPLES MANAGING EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE - Abstract

Sep 29, 2026

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Caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can generate distress alongside positive moments. This study addresses the gap in dyadic assessment by examining ambivalence in both people with early-stage AD and their spousal caregivers. Seventy-two couples reported positive and negative relationship qualities and life satisfaction; caregivers additionally rated dementia behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD). Path analyses show psychological symptom number and frequency predict ambivalence for both parties, which in turn lowers life satisfaction, with both direct and indirect BPSD effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study design and participants

Measures of ambivalence and life satisfaction

Key findings and implications

384 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1306 DYADIC AMBIVALENCE AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN COUPLES MANAGING EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Meng Huo1, Megan Gilligan2, Kyungmin Kim3, Nicole Richards4, Karen Fingerman4, and Steven Zarit5, 1. University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States, 2. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 3. Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 4. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States, 5. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States Caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can elicit considerable distress but there are also positive moments. A growing body of work has examined caregivers’ ambivalence in the care relationship and linked it to negative caregiver outcomes such as depression, but dyadic assessments of both parties’perspectives are missing. We examined ambivalence in both people with AD and their spousal caregivers, seeking to identify the correlates and well-being outcomes of such ambivalence in this unique context. Participants included 72 couples managing early-stage AD. People with AD and spousal caregivers independently self-reported positive and negative relationship qualities (used to indirectly calculate their ambivalence) and life satisfaction. Caregivers reported both partners’ demographic characteristics and their spouses’ behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), focusing on memory-related behaviors and psychological symptoms. Path analyses revealed that the number and frequency of psychological symptoms in people with AD were positively associated with their own and caregivers’ ambivalence. Caregivers’ distress ratings of memory-related behaviors and psychological symptoms were positively associated with their ambivalence. Greater ambivalence was associated with lower life satisfaction in both spouses. BPSD directly affected both spouses’ life satisfaction but there were also indirect effects via ambivalence. This study utilizes a dyadic approach to assess ambivalence in dementia care. Findings reveal the conflicting emotions that couples experience as they cope with early-stage AD, identify sources of such ambivalence, Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 385 and shed light on the development of dyadic interventions that can promote positive outcomes in both partners.

FAQs

What is the main research question of the study?

How ambivalence is experienced by both people with early-stage AD and their spousal caregivers, and how it relates to correlates and well-being outcomes such as life satisfaction.

How were ambivalence and life satisfaction assessed?

Participants independently self-reported positive and negative relationship qualities to indirectly calculate ambivalence, and they also reported life satisfaction.

What role do BPSD symptoms play in life satisfaction?

BPSD directly affects life satisfaction for both spouses and also has indirect effects through ambivalence.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by dawugda