Depression among Caregivers of Impaired Elders

Abstract

Studies have reported that rates of depression among caregivers are higher than in the general population. However, these studies have been limited primarily to caregivers of cognitively impaired elders. Using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale, this study investigated depression among caregivers for physically impaired elders. The authors found that one third of these caregivers reported depressive symptoms, a lower rate than for caregivers of cognitively impaired elders but still twice the rate for the general population. The data show that depressive symptoms are related primarily to health status but also to aspects of the caregiving situation, including both the negative impact of that care as well as the relationship of the caregiver to the frail elder. Depressive symptoms are not mediated by formal or informal support.