Identifier

etd-04062012-122029

Degree

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Department

Social Work

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Informal caregivers provide a substantial amount of emotional, financial, physical, and social support to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s caregivers often report immense levels of burden, which are associated with the demands of their caregiving duties. Caregivers mediate this burden through various means of coping, including spiritual support. Individuals who successfully manage the negative stressors related to Alzheimer’s caregiving are often highly resilient. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Support Scale among a sample of Alzheimer’s caregivers. The Spiritual Support Scale was initially utilized to measure spiritual coping among a sample of graduate and undergraduate students, after the September 11th terrorist attacks. The current study examined the efficacy of the Spiritual Support Scale among a sample of 691 Alzheimer’s caregivers in south Louisiana. The study confirmed previously reported calculations of the scale’s reliability by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and Guttman’s split-half coefficient. The study also established the validity of the Spiritual Support Scale by comparing the measure to theoretically linked constructs, coping and resilience. Confirmatory factor analysis identified a single factor of the Spiritual Support Scale on which all items of the scale loaded. The study concluded the Spiritual Support Scale has sound psychometric properties.

Date

2012

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Wilks, Scott

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.409

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