Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Caregiving appraisal is the subjective evaluation and interpretation of the holistic caregiving experience. We aim to investigate the underlying factors related to caregivers' perceptions and evaluations of their caregiving role and experience in chronic illness caregiving contexts. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive design. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers to explore their experiences in providing care to adults with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. We uncovered five interconnected themes: caregiving gain and loss tradeoff, caregiving competency, caregiving motivation, caregiving dyadic relationship, and caregiving meaning appraisal. Caregiving loss and gain tradeoff appraisal is the cognitive evaluation process through which caregivers assess the negative and positive outcomes associated with their caregiving role, weighing personal growth and benefits against the burdens and sacrifices required. Caregiving competency appraisal is the caregiver’s subjective evaluation of their ability to perform caregiving tasks effectively and confidently, shaped by professional and personal experience, external support and resources, physical and emotional challenges. Caregiving motivation appraisal reveals the interplay of voluntary and obligatory motivations, shaped by cultural and social expectations, familial commitment, personal fulfillment, love and affection, and practical demands. Caregiving dyadic relationship appraisal illustrates the subjective evaluation of the quality, dynamics, and changes in their relationship with the care recipient, shaped by mutual interactions, emotional connections, and the caregiving context. Caregiving meaning appraisal emphasizes the personal significance caregivers attach to their role. It encompasses their perceptions, beliefs, and emotional responses regarding what caregiving represents to them. Our finding highlighted the multifaceted nature of caregiving, shaped by personal values, practical circumstances, and relational dynamics. Insights from this study informed multiple caregiving-related scale development. Future research should explore caregiving appraisal across diverse populations, considering cultural and contextual factors, with longitudinal designs to track its evolution. Our findings also demonstrated the need to develop of tailored interventions that address practical, relational, and emotional dimensions of caregiving.
Notes
References:
Braithwaite, V. (2000). Contextual or general stress outcomes: Making choices through caregiving appraisals. The Gerontologist, 40(6), 706–717. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/40.6.706
Hanks, R. A., Rapport, L. J., & Vangel, S. (2007). Caregiving appraisal after traumatic brain injury: The effects of functional status, coping style, social support and family functioning. NeuroRehabilitation, 22(1), 43–52.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Progress on a cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. American Psychologist, 46(8), 819–834. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.8.819
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
Lawton, M. P., Kleban, M. H., Moss, M., Rovine, M., & Glicksman, A. (1989). Measuring caregiving appraisal. Journal of Gerontology, 44(3), P61–P71. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/44.3.P61
Lawton, M. P., Moss, M., Kleban, M. H., Glicksman, A., & Rovine, M. (1991). A two-factor model of caregiving appraisal and psychological well-being. Journal of Gerontology, 46(4), P181–P189. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/46.4.P181
Oberst, M. T., Thomas, S. E., Gass, K. A., & Ward, S. E. (1989). Caregiving demands and appraisal of stress among family caregivers. Cancer Nursing, 12(4), 209–215.
Pearlin, L. I., Mullan, J. T., Semple, S. J., & Skaff, M. M. (1990). Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. The Gerontologist, 30(5), 583–594. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/30.5.583
Pot, A. M., Zarit, S. H., Twisk, J., & Townsend, A. L. (2005). Transitions in caregivers' use of paid home help: Associations with stress appraisals and well-being. Psychology and Aging, 20(2), 211–219. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.20.2.211
Wang, S., Cheung, D. S. K., Leung, A. Y. M., & Davidson, P. M. (2020). Factors associated with caregiving appraisal of informal caregivers: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(17–18), 3201–3221. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15327
Sigma Membership
Beta Epsilon
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Cultural Context and Care, Caregiver Perceptions, Caregiver Experience, Chronic Illness and Disability, Extended Period Caregiving
Recommended Citation
Wang, Dingyue; Cary, Michael; Yang, Qing; Gray, Tamryn Fowler; and Hendrix, Cristina, "Understand Caregiving Appraisal in Chronic Illness and Disability Caregiving Over Extended Period" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 98.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/posters_2025/98
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-10
Understand Caregiving Appraisal in Chronic Illness and Disability Caregiving Over Extended Period
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Caregiving appraisal is the subjective evaluation and interpretation of the holistic caregiving experience. We aim to investigate the underlying factors related to caregivers' perceptions and evaluations of their caregiving role and experience in chronic illness caregiving contexts. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive design. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers to explore their experiences in providing care to adults with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. We uncovered five interconnected themes: caregiving gain and loss tradeoff, caregiving competency, caregiving motivation, caregiving dyadic relationship, and caregiving meaning appraisal. Caregiving loss and gain tradeoff appraisal is the cognitive evaluation process through which caregivers assess the negative and positive outcomes associated with their caregiving role, weighing personal growth and benefits against the burdens and sacrifices required. Caregiving competency appraisal is the caregiver’s subjective evaluation of their ability to perform caregiving tasks effectively and confidently, shaped by professional and personal experience, external support and resources, physical and emotional challenges. Caregiving motivation appraisal reveals the interplay of voluntary and obligatory motivations, shaped by cultural and social expectations, familial commitment, personal fulfillment, love and affection, and practical demands. Caregiving dyadic relationship appraisal illustrates the subjective evaluation of the quality, dynamics, and changes in their relationship with the care recipient, shaped by mutual interactions, emotional connections, and the caregiving context. Caregiving meaning appraisal emphasizes the personal significance caregivers attach to their role. It encompasses their perceptions, beliefs, and emotional responses regarding what caregiving represents to them. Our finding highlighted the multifaceted nature of caregiving, shaped by personal values, practical circumstances, and relational dynamics. Insights from this study informed multiple caregiving-related scale development. Future research should explore caregiving appraisal across diverse populations, considering cultural and contextual factors, with longitudinal designs to track its evolution. Our findings also demonstrated the need to develop of tailored interventions that address practical, relational, and emotional dimensions of caregiving.
Description
This qualitative study examined how family caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities appraise their caregiving role. Five key themes emerged: caregiving gain and loss tradeoff, caregiving competency, caregiving motivation, dyadic relationship, and the meaning of caregiving. Findings underscore the complex nature of caregiving, shaped by personal values, practical challenges, and relational dynamics, offering insights to guide caregiving-related scale development.