Caregiver Stress and Physical Health: The Case for Stress Management Therapy

It is well known that providing care for a loved one with memory problems puts a person at risk for both mental and physical health problems. In the last several decades, research on chronic stress suggests that the body's physical response to stress becomes severely dysregulated as a result of chronic stress lifestyles such as caregiving. This dysregulation may be the causal factor in caregivers' increased physical and mental health risks. This paper attempts to outline the mechanisms of one major physiologic system involved in the body's stress response, explaining how it can be used to monitor the efficacy of stress management interventions. The research leads to the conclusion that well-planned stress management interventions can effectively reduce the effects of chronic stress among caregivers. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)