Longitudinal effect of dementia carers' sense of coherence on burden

Background A sense of coherence (SOC) could help us better understand why there are individuals who cope better than others in similar situations. The study aimed to assess the effect of SOC on the course of burden reports in relatives of persons with dementia. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of 156 dementia carers. The SOC was assessed by the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ‐13), burden by Burden Interview, and personal and contextual characteristics were collected via ad hoc questions. The main dementia symptoms, including functional difficulties (Disability Assessment for Dementia), neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory), and cognitive impairment (Mini‐Mental State Examination), were also assessed. A general linear model was adjusted to determine the effect of SOC and other covariates on burden throughout the follow‐up. Burden differences between baseline and 12 and 24 months were analysed, and the baseline OLQ‐13 score was grouped by quartiles. Results The global burden reported increased after 24 months (F = 9.98; df = 2; p