The UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has awarded a planning grant of $5,000 to Dr. Kristen Hassmiller Lich and Doyoung Kim to study relational dynamics of emotional well-being among family caregivers and care-recipients who have cognitive impairment.
Dr. Hassmiller Lich and Kim are the sole recipients of the 2024 HPDP Planning Grant program, which assists UNC researchers in carrying out pilot projects related to health promotion and disease prevention research.
Challenging emotional states, such as depression, apathy, and agitation, are common among people with dementia. These symptoms can negatively impact the mental health of caregivers. At the same time, poor caregiver mental health has been associated with increased psychological and behavioral symptoms among care-recipients.
“We know there is a reciprocal relationship regarding emotional well-being among caregivers and care recipients. In addition, poor emotional well-being can lead to worse health outcomes and more health care visits. This is a burden to patients (to experience), to caregivers (to coordinate and support), and to society (in terms of preventable resource use and financial strain). With this study, we’re hoping to unravel the complex system of factors, pathways, and their interconnections affecting and affected by the emotional burden of dementia for patients as well as caregivers,” said Dr. Hassmiller Lich, the study’s principal investigator.
The pilot study will focus specifically on caregivers in North Carolina who are supporting a family member aged 65 or older with cognitive impairment. The researchers will conduct focus groups using group model building—a participatory method that engages caregivers in collaboratively understanding the problem and potential solutions using systems thinking methods. This approach aims to holistically understand what influences caregivers’ emotional well-being over time, as well as the mental health of their care recipients and the resulting consequences. The focus groups will also explore how caregivers navigate the health care system and identify opportunities to improve the use of various resources and supports (e.g., support groups, trainings, and respite care).
The research team will then analyze the data using a systems mapping tool to visualize and identify key pathways that impact caregiver and care recipient mental health, which can inform future interventions, such as support programs for family caregivers of individuals with dementia.
“Caregivers’ experiences play a crucial role in the health outcomes of family members with cognitive impairment,” said Kim, a health policy and management doctoral candidate on the study team. “The HPDP Planning Grant will allow us to learn how we can better support both caregivers and care recipients’ mental health.”
Dr. Kristen Hassmiller Lich, PhD, MHA is an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Across her research, Dr. Hassmiller Lich works to advance the way we use system maps, models, and local data with stakeholders to improve understanding of complex systems and to inform policy and practice.
Doyoung Kim, MSc is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research interests include understanding various factors associated with the risk of developing dementia, and identifying how to better support and improve health outcomes among those affected by dementia, including both patients and their caregivers.