EXAMINING DAILY MENTAL HEALTH IN HISPANIC AND LATINO DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS - Using an Intensive Longitudinal Design

Sep 29, 2026

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Caregiving for individuals with dementia involves day-to-day fluctuations in stress and mental health, yet many studies rely on cross-sectional designs that can miss these dynamics. This study evaluated recruitment effectiveness, the feasibility of repeated daily assessments, and mental health trajectories among Hispanic and Latino dementia caregivers using the Nuestros Días Study. Participants (n=180) completed daily diary surveys over 21 days at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months, with multilevel mixture modeling identifying distinct depression and anxiety symptom trajectories.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Methods and Study Design

Recruitment and Feasibility

Mental Health Trajectory Modeling

Key Findings

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 497 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1702 EXAMINING DAILY MENTAL HEALTH IN HISPANIC AND LATINO DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS USING AN INTENSIVE LONGITUDINAL DESIGN Natashia Bibriescas1, Loreli Alvarez2, and Frank Puga1, 1. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 2. The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States Caregiving for individuals with dementia is a dynamic experience characterized by daily variations in stress and mental health. However, most research relies on cross-sectional data, which may overlook these variations. This is especially true for Hispanic and Latino (H&L) caregivers, who experience 498 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 disproportionate caregiving burden and stress. This study examined the effectiveness of recruitment strategies, the feasibility of repeated daily assessments, and mental health trajectories using data from the Nuestros Días (Our Days) Study. Participants (n = 180) completed daily diary surveys for 21 consecutive days at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The effectiveness of recruitment strategies was assessed using enrollment data, while feasibility was assessed using retention and completion data. Multilevel mixture modeling was used to identify distinct trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms over time. Digital marketing was the most successful recruitment strategy, accounting for 76.5% of total enrollments. Retention rates were high, with 98.9% of expected participants completing wave one, 84.3% completing wave two, and 84.8% completing wave three. Preliminary mixture model analyses from wave one (n = 178) revealed distinct depression and anxiety symptom trajectories among H&L dementia caregivers. Three patterns emerged for both depression and anxiety symptoms: 1) caregivers with high symptoms that decreased over time, 2) caregivers with high symptoms that increased over time, and 3) caregivers with consistently low symptoms. These findings underscore the heterogeneity in H&L caregiver mental health over time and highlight both the feasibility of intensive daily dairy data collection and its value in capturing the dynamic nature of caregiving experiences.

FAQs

Why is a longitudinal approach important for studying dementia caregiving mental health?

Daily caregiving involves variations in stress and mental health, and cross-sectional studies may overlook these day-to-day changes. The study uses an intensive longitudinal design with repeated daily assessments to capture these dynamics.

How were recruitment strategies evaluated and which was most effective?

Recruitment strategies were assessed using enrollment data, including how many participants were recruited through each approach. Digital marketing was the most successful strategy, contributing 76.5% of total enrollments.

What patterns of depression and anxiety symptoms were identified over time?

Multilevel mixture modeling revealed three shared trajectory patterns: high symptoms that decreased, high symptoms that increased, and consistently low symptoms across time.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Cipher