Premium
Depression in frail elders: impact on family caregivers
Author(s) -
Sewitch Maida J.,
McCusker Jane,
Dendukuri Nandini,
Yaffe Mark J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.1135
Subject(s) - psychosocial , depression (economics) , family caregivers , medicine , mental health , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , logistic regression , geriatric depression scale , psychiatry , depressive symptoms , anxiety , nursing , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Objectives To examine the relationship between depression among medically ill, frail elders and family caregivers' hours of care, health status, and quality of life. Design and Methods A cross‐sectional study of 193 family caregivers of seniors treated in the emergency department (ED) was conducted. Measures included patient depression (Geriatric Depression Scale—15), and caregivers' hours of care, mental health and physical functioning (SF‐36), and quality of life (EQ‐5D). Results Mean caregiver age was 60.0 ± 16.1 years and 70.5% were female. More caregivers of depressed seniors provided more care in the previous month (37.3% vs 22.4%, p = 0.03), had poor mental health (63.5% vs 47.0%, p = 0.03), and poor perceived quality of life (63.5% vs 50.4%, p = 0.04) compared to caregivers of non‐depressed seniors. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that patient depression was associated with poor caregiver quality of life (OR = 3.15, 95% CI 1.48, 6.73), and poor mental health in spousal and adult child caregivers (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 0.88, 8.39, and OR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.10, 9.86, respectively). Conclusions Psychosocial support may be needed for caregivers of depressed seniors. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.