Self-Transcendent Views and Behaviors: Exploring Growth in Caregivers of Adults with Dementia

Literature suggests difficult life experiences such as fear, loss, and grief can provide an impetus for moving from self-centeredness toward a broader personal identity and self-transcendence. Caring for a family member with dementia may provide the context for such a movement; thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate self-transcendent views and behaviors in family caregivers of adults with dementia. A naturalistic field study design was used to collect data from individuals caring for family members with dementia. Findings showed little evidence of self-transcendent views and behaviors and little opportunity for caregivers to engage in activities that might facilitate self-transcendence. Conclusions of the study reveal social isolation, ambivalence, burden of care, and emotional fragility may inhibit the development of self-transcendence and interfere with healthy growth and development in family caregivers.