The relationship between aging anxiety, caregiving role, and personality type in adults with a parental history of Alzheimer's disease

The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between aging anxiety, caregiving role, and personality type in individuals with a parental history of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The literature provides a framework for understanding aging anxiety and how it may relate to the experiences of adults with a parental history of AD.;The method utilized an online, self-report survey, which asked respondents to answer questions about their parental disease history and their parental caregiving experience. Additionally, as part of the survey, respondents completed the Anxiety About Aging Scale (AAS) and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), which attempted to measure participants' aging anxiety across four domains, and personality style, respectively. Individuals with a parental history of AD were compared to individuals with a parental history of disease other than AD, as well as individuals with no known parental history of disease.;Results of the study survey were analyzed and reported for 121 participants. Although there were no significant differences found between AAS scores and parental illness type, there were significant correlations between several other variables. Caregiving disruption, regardless of parental illness type, was significantly correlated with total AAS scores, and scores on Factor IV of the AAS, Fear of Losses. Individuals who helped with a greater number of caregiving tasks reported higher scores on AAS Factor I, Fear of Old People. When examining the entire study sample, statistically significant correlations were found between total AAS scores and all five domains of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Likewise, when examining individuals with a parental history of disease other than AD, a relationship existed between total AAS scores and each of the five domains of the TIPI. In contrast, among individuals with a parental history of AD, statistically significant correlations were found only between total AAS scores and the Emotional Stability subscale of the TIPI.;Future research should focus on recruiting a larger and more diverse sample. This would allow for a more comprehensive look at how important demographic variables may influence the relationship between aging anxiety, caregiving role, and personality type in adults with a parental history of AD.