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We investigate mechanisms of stress and resilience underlying dementia processes. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the extent to which biopsychological stress as a risk factor influences the occurence and course of dementia and how resilience - psychological resistance - contributes to remaining healthy instead.

Research areas

Methodologically, these questions are investigated by means of ambulatory assessment studies set in daily life, which make it possible to examine the associations of interest directly in everyday life without time delay and retrospective bias. Based on these studies, care innovations for older people in general, but also especially for people living with dementia and their family caregivers, will then be conceptualized and tested. Interdisciplinary thinking to integrate the perspectives of psychology, medicine and care characterizes these studies in order to be able to develop age- and dementia-sensitive forms of care for older people.

In terms of content, a special focus is placed on the dyadic processes among people living with dementia and their informal caregivers in order to better understand how they influence each other in everyday life. This knowlegde is important to tailor low-threshold interventions in daily life to the needs of these dyads. In addition, a special target group of the interventions form vulnerable, older adults, who should be strengthened in their mental health through preventive care services. This should also help to anchor psychotherapeutic approaches more firmly in the target group of older adults in general.

Team

Head

• Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Alexandra Wuttke
  Tel. +49 931 201-76370
  E-Mail: wuttke_a@ ukw.de

Study Nurse

• Stefanie Reim
  E-Mail: reim_s@ ukw.de

Student Assistent

• Alexandra Toteva, B. Sc.

Current projects

Current projects are being carried out in cooperation with the Center for Mental Health in Old Age (ZpGA) in Mainz.

• RESQ-CAR
  Implementation and evaluation of the RESQ-Care questionnaire in the context of counseling.
  The Resilience and Strain Questionnaire for Caregivers (RESQ-CARE) was developed to recognize as early as possible informal caregivers at particular risk for adverse health outcomes and to be able to provide preventive advice and support. In a current study, the use of this questionnaire is being tested in care support centers.
  Duration 2023 - 2024
   
• EMA-CARE: The influence of stress and resilience factors on attitudes and experiences of relatives of people living with dementia in nursing homes - an exploratory ambulatory assessment study
  The aim of the project is to assess the type and extent of stress and resilience of formerly caring relatives of people living with dementia in nursing homes in everyday life and to investigate their influence on attitudes and experiences regarding the care situation of the person living with dementia in the nursing home in an explorative way. The main aim is to relate fluctuations in the experience of stress and resilience in everyday life to possible fluctuations in the attitudes and experiences of relatives towards the care situation in the nursing home. The study described here should provide starting points for determining the extent to which the attitudes and experiences of relatives of people living with dementia in nursing homes vary in everyday life and to what extent they are influenced by their own stress and resilience factors. The findings can thus contribute in the long term to better prepare family caregivers for the care situation of people living with dementia in nursing homes and to better accompany them by means of low-threshold daily life interventions.
  Duration 2023 - 2025

Publications

Publications can be found here or under pubmed.