Attentional avoidant biases as mediators in the association between experiential avoidance and blood pressure in dementia family caregivers

Article


Marquez-Gonzalez, Maria, Cabrera, Isabel, Losada, Andres and Knight, Bob. 2018. "Attentional avoidant biases as mediators in the association between experiential avoidance and blood pressure in dementia family caregivers." Aging and Mental Health. 25 (2), pp. 669-677. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2017.1293003
Article Title

Attentional avoidant biases as mediators in the association between experiential avoidance and blood pressure in dementia family caregivers

ERA Journal ID39992
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsMarquez-Gonzalez, Maria (Author), Cabrera, Isabel (Author), Losada, Andres (Author) and Knight, Bob (Author)
Journal TitleAging and Mental Health
Journal Citation25 (2), pp. 669-677
Number of Pages9
Year2018
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN1360-7863
1364-6915
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2017.1293003
Web Address (URL)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2017.1293003
Abstract

Objectives: Experiential avoidance in caregiving (EAC) has been found to be related with dementia family caregivers´ distress and blood pressure (BP). The association between EAC and avoidant attentional biases to emotional stimuli in dementia caregivers, and the potential mediating role of these attentional biases in the association between EAC and increased BP are explored.

Method: Seventy nine dementia family caregivers performed a dot-probe task with emotional pictures (distressing and positive) varying in content (general vs. caregiving-related (CR)) and time of exposure (100 vs. 500 ms). They also completed measures of EAC, anxiety, depression, alexithymia and rumination, and their BP was measured.

Results: EAC was associated with avoidant attentional biases to CR emotional pictures and negative pictures in general at 100 ms. Experiential Avoidance in Caregiving Questionnaire (EACQ) ‘avoidant behaviors’ and EACQ ‘intolerance of negativity’ factors were associated with diastolic and systolic BP, respectively, with attentional avoidance of CR emotional pictures (distressing and positive, respectively) mediating this association.

Conclusion: Attentional avoidance of CR emotional stimuli may be the link between EAC and increased BP, as it prevents emotional processing and facilitates the maintenance of physiological activation. EAC may pose a risk for cardiovascular disease in dementia caregivers.

KeywordsExperiential avoidance, attentional biases, dementia caregivers, blood pressure, dot probe task
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020520499. Cognitive and computational psychology not elsewhere classified
520299. Biological psychology not elsewhere classified
Byline AffiliationsAutonomous University of Madrid, Spain
Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain
School of Psychology and Counselling
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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