Mood regulation expectancies, coping responses, depression, and sense of burden in female caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.

This study focused on the role of generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation in coping among caregivers to Alzheimer's disease patients. Self-report measures were used to obtain information on expectancies, hassles, coping strategies, depressive symptoms, and sense of burden from 73 female primary caregivers in support groups. Stronger expectancies for negative mood regulation were associated with less severe depressive symptoms, even with stress levels and coping responses controlled. These expectancies were also associated with less avoidant coping, but were unrelated to active coping. Burden and depressive symptoms were strongly related, but correlated differently with other variables.