How past trauma and stress affect caregivers and people with dementia
Official title: The impact of stressful and traumatic experiences on the well-being of caregivers and persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11305261 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how past and ongoing traumatic experiences and stress affect the mental and physical well-being of family caregivers and the people they care for with Alzheimer's or related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $774,310 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG091449-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11305261 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Unpaid family caregivers (spouses, adult children, other relatives) of a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia who can complete questionnaires and interviews are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not caregivers for someone with ADRD, paid professional caregivers, or those unable to complete study questionnaires may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will ask about your history of stressful and traumatic events and measure symptoms like post-traumatic stress, depression, and caregiver burden for both you and the person you care for. They will collect this information through questionnaires and interviews and may follow caregivers over time to see how past trauma and current caregiving stress interact. The team will compare background risks (age, sex, race, socioeconomic status), caregiving challenges, and personal coping resources to identify patterns linked to worse outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to trauma-related factors to target with support or treatment, improving caregiver mental health and the quality of life for people living with dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has long linked caregiver stress to poorer outcomes and the investigators' pilot data suggest trauma and PTSS are common, but applying PTSS specifically to caregiver burden is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brenes, Gretchen a — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Brenes, Gretchen a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving Sleep and Well-Being for People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers
This project helps people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers get better sleep and feel better overall.
-
How stress and trauma affect caregivers and people with Alzheimer's disease
This study looks at how taking care of someone with Alzheimer's affects the mental health of family caregivers, especially considering their past experiences and current stress, to find ways to better support them.
-
Social media support for Alzheimer's caregivers powered by AI chat help
A caregiver-focused program for families of people with Alzheimer's and related dementias uses an AI-enhanced social media approach to provide daily supportive messages and online discussions.
-
Music and well-being after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis
Families and people newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementias could discover how engaging with music might support mood, identity, and social connection early on.
-
Token-Based Community Network to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Alzheimer's and Related Dementias
A new app-based program called Help-Full aims to help family and friend caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias feel more supported and connected while managing caregiving tasks.
-
Smartphone-based emotional regulation for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease
A brief smartphone-based program helps unpaid family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias manage emotions and reduce stress.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.