Hispanic culture and dementia caregiving

Hispanic dementia caregivers encounter both unique advantages and challenges that are at least partially shaped by sociocultural norms. Two of the most frequently cited cultural values in Hispanic caregiving research are familism—which depicts strong identification with and loyalty to family—and marianismo—which emphasizes women’s self-sacrificing devotion to familial responsibilities (Arévalo-Flechas et al., 2014). Familism specifically has been described as a cultural resource that may buffer caregiving stress among Hispanic caregivers (Mausbach et al., 2004). However, the influence of familism is not uniform across Hispanic dementia caregivers. For some, familism creates a sense of obligation to take on a caregiving role regardless of personal capacity (Gelman, 2014). In Puerto Rico specifically, this notion can be exacerbated by dissipating social networks due to migration and economic pressures (Matos-Moreno et al., 2022). When familism intersects with gender role expectations, such as marianismo, the physical and emotional burden on female caregivers may be further intensified (Arévalo-Flechas et al., 2014). In such contexts—where Hispanic cultural values may reinforce rather than alleviate caregiver burden—the presence of accessible social support can be critical (Aranda, 2001). This sociocultural dynamic becomes particularly relevant in the Puerto Rican context, where policy and economic challenges (Matos-Moreno et al., 2022) and cultural norms (Yeo & Gallagher-Thompson, 2014) can lead older adults to rely more heavily on informal care provided by family members. In this context, the need for social support for primary caregivers becomes even more critical. Caregivers often share caregiving responsibilities with siblings or seek both emotional and practical support from community resources, such as churches (Aranda, 2001). Despite the recognized importance of social support for Puerto Rican dementia caregivers, there is limited research that has quantitatively examined its relationship with dementia-related caregiver burden and caregivers’ mental health.