HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gallagher-Thompson, D. Articles by Thompson, L. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gallagher-Thompson, D. Articles by Thompson, L. W.

Ethnicity, Stress, and Cortisol Function in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women: A Preliminary Study of Family Dementia Caregivers and Noncaregivers

From the Department of Psychiatry (DG-T, GRS, KR, HLG), Stanford University School of Medicine and VA Palo Alto Healthcare System; the University of California, San Diego (CLM) and VA Healthcare System; Stanford University School of Medicine (HCK); the University of Louisville School of Medicine (SES); and Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (LWT) and Stanford University School of Medicine.

Objective: This study examined differences in psychologic and physiological responses to caregiving stress in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women dementia caregivers and noncaregivers. Dependent variables were perceived stress, depression, and salivary cortisol.

Method: Eighty-three women caregivers (20 Hispanic and 24 non-Hispanic white) and noncaregivers (19 Hispanic and 20 non-Hispanic white) completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and collected three saliva samples daily for 3 consecutive days. A subsample of 17 Hispanic and 28 non-Hispanic white participants matched on age and education was used for the main analyses.

Results: Caregivers had higher levels of 8 am, 5 pm, and 9 pm log cortisol as well as higher perceived stress than noncaregivers. Non-Hispanic whites had higher depression scores than noncaregivers, but there was no significant difference for Hispanics. Hispanics, regardless of caregiving status had flatter daytime cortisol slopes than the non-Hispanic whites. Multivariate regression analyses showed that both ethnicity and depressive symptoms independently predicted daytime cortisol slope.

Conclusions: Results support the relationship between chronic stress and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysregulation among women dementia caregivers and highlight the need to examine further the role of ethnicity and depressive symptoms in their physiological responses.

Key Words: Ethnicity • stress • cortisol • dementia • caregiving

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. N. Gitlin, L. Winter, J. Burke, N. Chernett, M. P. Dennis, and W. W. Hauck Tailored Activities to Manage Neuropsychiatric Behaviors in Persons With Dementia and Reduce Caregiver Burden: A Randomized Pilot Study Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, March 1, 2008; 16(3): 229 - 239. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Gallagher-Thompson Caregiving Issues: Covering the Spectrum From Detection to End of Life Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, August 1, 2006; 14(8): 635 - 641. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. O'Hara Stress, Aging, and Mental Health Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, April 1, 2006; 14(4): 295 - 298. [Full Text] [PDF]