Heightened risk: Childhood trauma and anticipatory grief exacerbate the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms and LPS-stimulated cytokines in dementia caregivers.

ABSTRACT: Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed self-report measures of loneliness, child

SUBMITTER: Brice KN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12273704 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature