Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of informal caregivers, their care recipients with dementia, and their relationship (N = 540)

Individual context, informal caregiver

Burden - RSS

0–60

25.0 (11.7)

0.92

3.9%

Gender: Female

363 (68.9%)

1.5%

Edu.: High school or lower

307 (56.9%)

1.3%

University or higher

226 (43.1%)

Employment: Full-time (incl. studies)

145 (28.5%)

2.0%

Part-time (incl. studies)

50 (9.6%)

Not working

334 (62.0%)

Economic status: Difficult

47 (8.5%)

1.3%

Easy

480 (90.2%)

Do not know

6 (1.2%)

Age

21–93

67.4 (11.8)

1.5%

Self-rated health

1–5

3.6 (0.9)

1.3%

Mental distress - PHQ4

0–12

2.8 (2.5)

0.86

2.2%

Coping strategies - brief COPE:

Giving up

0–12

1.6 (2.1)

0.76

1.9%

Support

0–12

5.9 (2.6)

0.83

1.3%

Humor

0–6

1.5 (1.4)

0.76

1.7%

Religion

0–6

0.7(1.4)

0.91

0.9%

Substance use

0–6

0.3 (0.8)

0.89

0.6%

Individual context, care recipient

Gender: Female

257 (48.6%)

0.7%

Age

53–99

78.9 (7.8)

0.7%

Neuropsychiatric symptoms - NPIQ

0–33

8.7 (6.1)

0.81

8.0%

Dementia severity - IQCODE

2.9-5

4.5 (0.5)

0.92

0.2%

Disability - RDRS2

18–68

39.8 (9.9)

0.90

3.7%

Relational context

ICG primary caregiver: Yes

496 (93.3%)

1.3%

Relation to CR:

0.7%

Spouse

338 (63.1%)

Child or other

198 (36.9%)

Cohabiting: Yes

348 (63.6%)

0.9%

ICG previous relationship satisfaction

0–5

3.7 (1.0)

0.77

2.2%

Extent of care: Once a week or less

41 (7.9%)

1.3%

2–3 times a week

80 (15.5%)

4–6 times a week

70 (12.6%)

Every day

342 (64.0%)

Community context

ICG with friends: Weekly

193 (36.8%)

1.1%

Monthly

180 (33.9%)

Infrequent

161 (29.3%)

ICG leisure activity

0–14

6.8 (3.2)

0.55

2.2%

CR activity: No activity

112 (20.5%)

1.7%

Any activity

419 (79.5%)

ICG knowledge of services

1–5

3.5 (0.9)

0.6%

ICG social restriction

0–4

1.7 (1.4)

0.87

1.9%

Time context

Duration of care: 0-2y

181 (33.5%)

0.9%

3-5y

261 (49.0%)

6y or more

93 (17.5%)