scholarly journals Evaluation of the measurement properties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in Hispanic caregivers to patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1073-1084
Author(s):  
Jeanne A. Teresi ◽  
Katja Ocepek-Welikson ◽  
Mildred Ramirez ◽  
Marjorie Kleinman ◽  
Katherine Ornstein ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectives:The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is the most widely used measure of perceived stress; however, minimal psychometric evaluation has been performed among Hispanic respondents, and even less among Hispanic caregivers to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRDs).Design:Secondary data analysis.Setting:New York City, NY, USA.Participants:A sample of 453 community dwelling Hispanic caregivers to patients with ADRD.Measurements:Latent variable models were used to evaluate the PSS. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine unidimensionality. Differential item functioning (DIF) was examined for age, education, and language using the graded item response model.Results:The factor and bifactor analyses results supported essential unidimensionality of the item set; however, positively worded items were observed using response item theory to be less informative than the negatively worded items. Reliability estimates were high. Salient DIF was not observed for age, education, or language of interview using the primary DIF detection method. Sensitivity analyses using a second DIF detection method identified uniform language-DIF for the item, “In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?” However, the non-compensatory DIF value was below the threshold considered salient.Conclusions:In summary, the 10-item PSS performed well in a sample of English- and Spanish-speaking Hispanic caregivers to patients with ADRD. Very little DIF, and none of high magnitude and impact, was observed. However, the negatively worded items, perhaps because they are more directly reflective of stress, were more informative. In the context of a short-form measure or computerized adaptive test, more informative items are those that would be selected for inclusion.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Arsenault-Lapierre ◽  
Victor Whitehead ◽  
Sonia Lupien ◽  
Howard Chertkow

Anosognosia, or unawareness of one’s own cognitive deficits, may cause issues when measuring perceived stress and cortisol levels in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The goal of this study was to examine the effects of anosognosia on perceived stress and salivary cortisol levels in normal elderly (NE) adults, MCI individuals, newly diagnosed AD patients, and long-lasting AD patients, suspected to show more anosognosia. An anosognosia index for perceived stress was computed by subtracting the score on the Perceived Stress Scale measured in the participants and their relative. Cortisol levels were measured four times a day over two nonconsecutive days. Greater anosognosia for dementia correlated with greater anosognosia for perceived stress in the group as a whole. However, no correlation between cortisol levels and either anosognosia for dementia or perceived stress was observed. Our results suggest that measuring perceived stress in AD patients may be influenced by anosognosia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 628-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon H Baik ◽  
Rina S Fox ◽  
Sarah D Mills ◽  
Scott C Roesch ◽  
Georgia Robins Sadler ◽  
...  

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 among 436 community-dwelling Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish language preference. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis examined the factorial invariance of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 across language groups. Results supported a two-factor model (negative, positive) with equivalent response patterns and item intercepts but different factor covariances across languages. Internal consistency reliability of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 total and subscale scores was good in both language groups. Convergent validity was supported by expected relationships of Perceived Stress Scale-10 scores to measures of anxiety and depression. These results support the use of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 among Hispanic Americans.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Innes ◽  
T. K. Selfe ◽  
C. J. Brown ◽  
K. M. Rose ◽  
A. Thompson-Heisterman

Objective. To investigate the effects of an 8-week meditation program on perceived stress, sleep, mood, and related outcomes in adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.Methods. Community-dwelling adults with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, together with their live-in caregivers, were enrolled in the study. After a brief training, participants were asked to meditate for 11 minutes, twice daily for 8 weeks. Major outcomes included measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), sleep (General Sleep Disturbance Scale), mood (Profile of Mood States), memory functioning (Memory Functioning Questionnaire), and blood pressure. Participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention.Results. Ten participants (5 of 6 dyads) completed the study. Treatment effects did not vary by participant status; analyses were thus pooled across participants. Adherence was good (meditation sessions completed/week:X=11.4±1.1). Participants demonstrated improvement in all major outcomes, including perceived stress (P<0.001), mood (overall,P=0.07; depression,P=0.01), sleep (P<0.04), retrospective memory function (P=0.04), and blood pressure (systolic,P=0.004; diastolic,P=0.065).Conclusions. Findings of this exploratory trial suggest that an 8-week meditation program may offer an acceptable and effective intervention for reducing perceived stress and improving certain domains of sleep, mood, and memory in adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1617-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheryl L Warttig ◽  
Mark J Forshaw ◽  
Jane South ◽  
Alan K White

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 409-410
Author(s):  
Helen Lach ◽  
Devita Stallings ◽  
Rebecca Lorenz ◽  
John Taylor ◽  
Janice Palmer

Abstract Health professionals have been concerned about mental health of older adults during the COVID pandemic. To explore their experiences, we conducted an online survey of community-dwelling older people to examine their mental health related to stress, based on Pearlin’s Stress Process Model. A snowball approach was used; we sent recruitment e-mails through senior organizations and contacts with e-mail lists of potential participants; there were 504 respondents. We used regression analysis to explore predictors of mental health based on Pearlin’s model. Background characteristics included age (m = 75.7, SD 4.95), gender (77.4% female) and race (White = 93.4%). The CESD-10 provided a measure of mental health. Scores indicated 62.3% of the sample scored in the low range for depressive symptoms and 37.7% in the moderate to high range. Stressors were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale that includes subscales of perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy. We also measured perceived social Isolation, and current life space as predictor variables. Results of regressing the CESD-10 onto the set of theoretical predictors revealed that the inclusion both subscales of the Perceived Stress Scale, social isolation, and current life space jointly accounted for approximately 63.0% of the variability in the outcome beyond the baseline model (FChange[4, 449] = 211.15, p &lt; .01), which included age, race, and gender. The model overall, accounted for approximately 66.5% (R2adjusted = 66.0%) of the variability in CESD-10 scores, (F[7, 449] = 127.473, p &lt; .01). Addressing stress among older adults is important to help them maintain positive mental health.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Hunting Pompon ◽  
Dagmar Amtmann ◽  
Charles Bombardier ◽  
Diane Kendall

Author(s):  
Susan Greimel ◽  
Jean F Wyman ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Fang Yu

Abstract Background Recruiting older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia into clinical trials is challenging requiring multiple approaches. We describe recruitment and screening processes and results from the FIT-AD Trial, a single site, pilot randomized controlled trial testing the effects of a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention on cognition and hippocampal volume in community-dwelling older adults with mild-to moderate AD dementia. Methods Ten recruitment strategies and a four-step screening process were used to ensure a homogenous sample and exercise safety. The initial target sample was 90 participants over 48 months which was increased to 96 to allow those in the screening process to enroll if qualified. A tertiary analysis of recruitment and screening rates, recruitment yields and costs, and demographic characteristics of participants was conducted. Results During the 48-month recruiting period, 396 potential participants responded to recruitment efforts, 301 individuals were reached and 103 were tentatively qualified. Of these, 67 (69.8%) participants completed the optional magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging and seven were excluded due to abnormal MRI findings. As a result, we enrolled 96 participants with a 2.92 screen ratio, 2.14 recruitment rate, and 31.9% recruitment yield. Referrals (28.1%) and Alzheimer’s Association events/services (21.9%) yielded over 49% of the enrolled participants. Total recruitment cost was $ 38,246 or $ 398 per randomized participant. Conclusions A multi-prong approach involving extensive community outreach was essential in recruiting older adults with AD dementia into a single-site trial. For every randomized participant, three individuals needed to be screened. Referrals were the most cost-effective recruitment strategy.


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