Fagundes, Christopher2022-09-232022-09-232022-082022-08-09August 202Chen, Michelle Ai-Lien. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Individual Differences among Dementia Spousal Caregivers: A Biobehavioral Approach to Stress Across the Lifespan." (2022) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/113279">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/113279</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/113279Caregiving for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) is a chronic stressor that puts individuals at an increased risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes. Chronic stress can dysregulate the immune system and promote sustained elevated proinflammatory cytokine production, an important indicator of morbidity and mortality. However, not all ADRD spousal caregivers experiences the same amount of risk. Of note, individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences are more psychologically and physiologically reactive to subsequent stressors across the lifespan (i.e., caregiving for a spouse with ADRD) than others without a history of adverse childhood experiences. Inhibitory control, defined as the ability to regulate undesired thoughts, actions, and emotional responses to stress, may further impact the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes among individuals facing chronic stress later in life. In this study, I aimed to examine individual differences underlying how adverse childhood experiences may cause some ADRD spousal caregivers to be at a greater risk for stress-induced alterations in pro-inflammatory cytokines and poorer spousal caregiver well-being. Participants (n = 91) completed self-report assessments of adverse childhood experiences, inhibitory control, health, caregiver burden, grief symptoms, and quality of life. Across multiple measurements, adverse childhood experiences were associated with some, but not all domains of self-reported health and caregiver well-being. Furthermore, inhibitory control moderated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and caregiver well-being across multiple measurements. Finally, inhibitory control moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and emotional well-being, energy, and depressive symptoms. Future studies should further explore mechanisms underlying these relationships and identify potential interventions that may mitigate the risk of adverse health outcomes for caregivers with a history of adverse childhood experiences.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.adverse childhood experiencesinhibitory controlspousal caregivingThesis2022-09-23