A qualitative study on the psychological experience and coping strategies of caregivers with Alzheimer's disease patients
WANG Ziqi
GAO Yan
JI Hui
Abstract：Objective:To explore the psychological stress and coping strategies of the main caregivers of Alzheimer's disease(AD)patients,and to provide a basis for formulating more effective intervention strategies.Methods:A phenomenological research method was adopted.Fourteen main caregivers of AD patients were selected through purposive sampling for semi-structured in-depth interviews.The interview data were analyzed and themes were extracted using the Colaizzi 7-step analysis method.Results:The word cloud showed that the words"care"and"stress"had the highest frequency,both exceeding 280 times.Through the analysis of the interview data,149 meaning units were extracted and summarized into 15 sub-themes,and ultimately formed 5 core themes,including accumulated negative emotions(anxiety and depression,anger and sadness,emotional instability),heavy psychological stress(psychological distress,care burden,economic burden),lack of effective coping(depersonalization,tolerance of patients,self-sacrifice),insufficient support system(lack of social support,lack of support from professional institutions and the government),and spiritual motivation sources(unwavering commitment,family and kinship,spiritual beliefs,psychological resilience).Conclusion:There are differences in the psychological burden among different caregivers.It is recommended to adopt a comprehensive intervention plan,including psychological education,emotional support,and the construction of a social support network,to effectively reduce the psychological stress of caregivers and improve the quality of care.
Keywords：Alzheimer's diseasecaregiverspsychological experiencequalitative study
Publication Date：2026-01-25
Online Publishing Date：2026-02-04(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 199-205 )