Abstract
Abstract
Background
Informal caregivers make up a large share of the care provided to people living with dementia, and experience an elevated risk for anxiety, depression, and caregiving burden. Technology-based interventions, such as mobile apps, aim to support informal caregivers by providing information, training, and mental or social support. Considering the diverse nature of the caregiver experience, AI is being incorporated into such interventions to create more tailored and specific support; however, AI hesitancy may serve as a significant barrier to usage.
Objective
The study aimed to preliminarily assess the levels of AI acceptance in adult informal caregivers of people living with dementia, and generate hypotheses regarding the psychological and contextual factors of AI acceptance.
Methods
Adult, unpaid caregivers were recruited through social media and community partners. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was administered through Qualtrics (Qualtrics, LLC) to evaluate AI acceptance and psychological flexibility (PF). AI acceptance was measured using the Attitude Towards Artificial Intelligence (ATTARI-12) scale, while PF was measured using the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (PPFI). Social needs were assessed by the ’Accountable Health Communities Health Related Social Needs (AHC-HRSN) tool (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between these factors and AI acceptance.
Results
Overall, 31 informal caregivers of people living with dementia completed the survey. With an average age of 60 (SD 10.6) years old, the majority of caregivers were women (29/31, 94%), Caucasian (25/31, 81%), highly educated (24/31, 77% completed some form of higher education), and currently serving in a caregiver role (21/31, 68%). Mean PPFI and ATTARI-12 scores were moderate (66.4, SD 10.3, and 3.01, SD 0.55, respectively), demonstrating a neutral attitude regarding AI use. In bivariate analyses, ATTARI-12 differed by the caregiver-perceived illness severity (
P
P
=.04) was associated with ATTARI-12 scores.
Conclusions
This study suggests that caregivers’ acceptance of such technology may vary according to their care recipient’s disease severity and the acceptance subscale of the PPFI. Additionally, the study provides justification for using the ATTARI-12 and PPFI scales to assess AI acceptance and PF in informal caregivers of people living with dementia, respectively. Future research should explore these factors across a larger and more diversified cohort to further generalize and confirm our findings.