Mental health for family caregivers
Browning to study siblings who care for parents
Older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) can be at risk when their caregivers lack sufficient mental health support.
“More than half of family caregivers report some sort of psychological or physical mistreatment toward their loved ones with ADRD," said Wesley Browning, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth. “By focusing on the roles, relationships, and interactions within caregiving families, we may be able to improve the quality of care for older adults with ADRD.”
To support this vital research, Browning recently received the Speros Martel Endowment for Aging Geriatric Research Award, which provided $7,000 to fund his project, "Assessing Dementia Through Family Caregivers: A Feasibility Study." The project will explore how family dynamics, mental health, and resilience impact dementia caregiving.
Browning and his team will move beyond the traditional caregiver/care-recipient relationship, often referred to as a dyad, to introduce the concept of secondary caregivers – often siblings who share responsibility of caring for a parent with dementia.
By recruiting sibling pairs, Browning hopes to uncover complex interfamily relationships that may influence caregivers’ mental health, and, in turn, the quality of care provided to their loved ones.
The team will recruit participants by contacting primary caregivers who have participated in previous research. These individuals will be invited to complete a short eligibility survey and then asked to involve a sibling who contributes to caregiving. If necessary, Browning and his team will also utilize social media to recruit more families. The research study began in September and will run through August 2025.
“By enhancing the mental well-being of family caregivers, we can ensure they are better prepared to care for their loved ones, paving the way for new and innovative strategies to support them in the future,” said Browning.
Co-investigators on the grant are Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN, and Vicki Winstead, PhD, MA. Pickering, a professor at Cizik School of Nursing, is director of the Cizik Nursing Research Institute and the Roybal Center for Elder Mistreatment Intervention Research. Winstead is a research scientist in the Pickering Caregiver Lab.
Laura Frnka-Davis
