Cortisol

Objective: This randomized controlled trial examined the comparative effectiveness of 2 interventions for improving diurnal cortisol slope and life satisfaction and reducing stress symptoms among older female dementia family caregivers.; Method: Thirty-one family dementia caregivers were randomized to 8 weeks of Inner Resources for Stress mindfulness meditation and mantra training (IR) or psychoeducation and telephone support (PTS).; Results: Intention-to-treat analyses revealed statistically significant pre-post improvements in diurnal cor

Caregivers of loved ones with chronic illnesses experience an uncontrollable challenge with potentially negative behavioral and medical consequences. Extensive research has demonstrated immune and endocrine regulation can be significantly disrupted by negative behavioral factors based on both animal models and human studies. However, fewer studies have focused on how psychosocial interventions might reverse the negative consequences of stressors such as caregiving. The distress of caring for individuals with cancer has only recently begun to receive attention.

Carers of patients with psychiatric disorders show high levels of anxiety and depression, possibly mediated through disruption of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Among carers of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), we set out to determine the psychological and physiological (HPA axis) consequences of caring, and the association of these consequences with long-term outcome in patients.