Abstract
PURPOSE: To explore the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and care-related strain among spouses of persons living with dementia (PLWD). METHOD: Data from spouses (N = 30) of PLWD were included in a cross-sectional analysis examining whether childhood adversity, as measured by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-10), was associated with reports of care-related strain, as measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12). RESULTS: Care-related strain was moderate (mean = 17), and there was a significant difference between ZBI-12 scores of spouses with no ACEs (n = 10, mean = 11.3) versus those with ≥1 ACE (n = 18, mean = 20.17) (p = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [-15.37, -2.36]). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated there was a significant association between ACE-10 and ZBI-12 scores (p = 0.006), even when controlling for role captivity (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: ACEs may influence the degree of care-related strain experienced by spouses of PLWD based on these preliminary results. Future research is needed to understand mechanisms and potential interventions for heightened appraisal of strain among spousal caregivers with ACEs. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 51(6), 17-21.].