The objectives of this study were to describe illness representations in dementia caregiving and examine the relationship between illness perceptions and carers' sense of coherence. Illness perceptions were assessed by the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. We measured sense of coherence, symptoms of anxiety and depression and carer burden. Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic factors, burden and psychological distress in carers, illness coherence and emotional responses to the disease independently contributed towards explaining variance in carers' sense of coherence. Results provide support for the usefulness of the self-regulation model in understanding dementia caregiving.