Cultural motivations, instrumental support, and depressive mood among dementia family caregivers in rural Appalachia

Objectives: Although many dementia family caregivers receive instrumental help from relatives and friends for caregiving tasks, prior research on its impact on caregivers’ mood has been inconsistent. Guided by the sociocultural stress and coping model, we used daily diary data to examine whether receiving instrumental support is associated with lower depressive mood among dementia family caregivers, and whether this association varies by caregivers’ cultural motivations for caregiving (e.g. sense of duty). Method: We analyzed data from 157 dementia family caregivers living in rural Appalachian counties (M_age = 65 ± 12.2 years; 88% White) who completed baseline interviews and a 7-day daily diary. Multilevel models assessed daily variations in instrumental support, depressive mood, and the moderating role of caregivers’ cultural motivations. Results: Greater instrumental support was not directly associated with lower daily depressive mood. However, cultural motivations significantly moderated this association. Specifically, caregivers with weaker cultural motivations experienced lower depressive mood on days they received more support, whereas those with stronger cultural motivations reported higher depressive mood. Conclusion: The psychological benefits of receiving instrumental support may be diminished for caregivers with strong cultural motivations. This underscores the need for culturally-tailored strategies that promote healthier coping and well-being among dementia family caregivers.