Study Finds Gratitude Matters for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s
Baylor interdisciplinary researchers gain “rich understanding” of the positive impact of gratitude on family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s and neurocognitive disorders

Credit: FG Trade Latin / Collection: E+ / Getty Images Plus
Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, 254-327-8012
Follow us: @BaylorUMedia on X and LinkedIn
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive neurocognitive disorders comes with a wide range of challenges, emotions and stressors. Despite those difficult circumstances, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Baylor University found that family caregivers who recognize and cultivate feelings of gratitude are better able to adjust to their roles with a greater sense of well-being and enhanced coping.
The research, led by principal investigator Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Ph.D., assistant professor at Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, is published in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Emanating from a long-term project – “Spirituality, Positive Psychological Factors, Health and Well-being in Persons Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Forms of Dementia and their Family Members” – the study provides an in-depth understanding of gratitude among caregivers and an empirically rooted understanding of the “multiple dimensions of gratitude” among persons with Alzheimer’s or other neurocognitive disorders.
“The interest in and scientific understanding of the construct of gratitude as a positive characteristic has grown tremendously in recent years,” McGee said. “Gratitude is linked to well-being, the capacity for building relationships and the ability to cope with difficult life experiences which may bolster resilience. However, research on the role gratitude plays in the lives of family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease is limited.”
Disposition for gratitude
In their study, McGee and her team of researchers found that caregivers with a higher disposition for gratitude are more resilient, empathetic and better equipped to handle caregiving challenges.
“Before beginning this research, the predominant view of persons with Alzheimer’s and their families took a deficits-based approach rather than balancing their inherent strengths with the challenges they experience on this journey,” McGee said. “This approach can lead to stigma and fear rather than drawing on the strengths still present in persons living with Alzheimer’s and their family members. This is why our findings are important as they suggest that strengths such as gratitude can be activated and cultivated in caregivers as a tool for better mental health and coping strategies.”
Through qualitative interviews with caregivers, the Baylor study uncovers three key elements of gratitude – personal strengths, external support and spiritual guidance – which collectively serve as vital coping mechanisms. The findings offer valuable insights for developing interventions that enhance caregiver resilience and mental health.
Gratitude for personal strengths
The study revealed caregiver’s ability to acknowledge with gratitude the strengths of their loved one with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
“Despite cognitive changes, individuals with Alzheimer’s and other neurocognitive disorders continue to demonstrate strengths like kindness, perseverance and gratitude, enhancing their quality of life and relationships,” McGee said. “Likewise, our work has also uncovered how caregivers use and develop virtues and character strengths in their journey of living with Alzheimer’s and other neurocognitive diseases themselves.”
Gratitude for relationships
The theme of gratitude for strengthened relationships through the caregiving process also showed the importance of interpersonal connection. Some study participants found they were able to heal relationships through the process of being together and the care partnering between the caregiver and the individual for which they expressed gratitude.
McGee said caregivers who conveyed feelings of hope had the most gratitude and were able to see the positives in their relationships with their loved ones.
“Some caregivers spoke of not having a great relationship in the past with their loved one with Alzheimer’s but appreciating them now… and cherishing the remaining time that they had,” she said.
Gratitude for guidance from a higher power
The study also highlighted spirituality and faith as essential coping mechanisms and aspects of gratitude by offering emotional support, meaning and purpose and social connections, while also acknowledging the spiritual struggles faced by individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families.
“Some people found gratitude in their religion and faith and others were able to find it through spiritual practices like being in nature,” McGee said. “They reflected on how grateful they were to God or a higher power for helping them navigate these challenges.”
Research Team
The interdisciplinary research project has brought together a team of faculty, graduate students and undergraduates from across Baylor’s academic units, including the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Louise Herrington School of Nursing and the College of Arts & Sciences. The benefits of working with interdisciplinary team-based science, McGee said, allows for comprehensive problem-solving, enhanced knowledge integration and better solutions to complex issues, including the role of gratitude in the lives of family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease in the early or beginning stages. In addition to McGee, the researchers – who have backgrounds in nursing, psychology, medicine, neuropsychology and social work – include:
- Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., associate professor of Church and Community Ministries, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
- Morgan Davie, M.S.W. ’21, doctoral candidate, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work Doctoral Program and McGee’s research mentee.
- Madison Ambrose, B.S. ’22.
- Rebecca Meraz, Ph.D., B.S.N. ’94, M.S.N. ’05, RN, CCRC, CHFN-K, tenure track assistant professor, Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
- Dennis R. Myers, Ph.D., professor and The Danny and Lenn Prince Endowed Professor for the Residential Care of Older Adults, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
- Angela M. McClellan, M.S.W. ’23, McGee’s research mentee, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
- Edward C. Polson, Ph.D., associate professor, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
- Weiming Ke, Ph.D., biostatistician, Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
ABOUT JOCELYN SHEALY MCGEE, PH.D.

Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Ph.D., is an interdisciplinary scholar, researcher and social work educator who serves as an assistant professor at the Baylor University Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. She has published and presented widely in the field of Gerontology on topics such as spirituality and health, caregiving, living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and related progressive neurocognitive diseases, the use of virtual reality and other technologies to assist older persons, positive aging, aging and international aging and resilience. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section and the past co-chair of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Interest Group. Her work has been featured in journals such as The Clinical Gerontologist, Geriatrics, International Journal of Qualitative Research, Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology, Religion Spirituality, & Aging, Frontiers in Psychology and Dementia: International Journal of Social Research and Practice.
McGee’s research lab utilizes mixed methods research designs for studies aimed at better understanding the role of positive psychology, health and well-being in people living with diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and their family members. She is dedicated to empowering people with Alzheimer’s and their family members and acknowledging their value as human beings within the context of cognitive decline. She is particularly interested in how strengths such as spirituality, gratitude, hope, meaning in life, and resilience can be cultivated to improve health and well-being. Her basic science research has served to inform several clinical interventions with one being implemented across the Veterans Health Administration system in Community Living Centers.
ABOUT THE DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda that values humanity, engages spirituality and promotes equity. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (BSW); a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree available in Waco or online; three joint-degree options, MSW/MBA, MSW/MDiv and MSW/MTS, through a partnership with Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary; and an online Ph.D. program. Visit the School of Social Work website to learn more.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.