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Caregiver depression predicts early discontinuation of care for disabled elderly at home
Author(s) -
Arai Yumiko,
Sugiura Midori,
Washio Masakazu,
Miura Hiroko,
Kudo Kei
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2001.00878.x
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , discontinuation , gerontology , psychology , medicine , nursing homes , longitudinal study , psychiatry , nursing , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
This longitudinal study investigates the caregiving experiences among Japanese caregivers who provided informal care at home for disabled elderly between 1998 and 1999. Forty‐seven caregivers of the impaired elderly continued caregiving at home in Matsuyama Town, a rural area of northern Japan, while 18 caregivers discontinued it. The mean score of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in 1998 among those who gave up caregiving was significantly higher than that of those who continued caregiving, indicating that depression predicts early discontinuation of care in the home. This is one of the few studies in Japan to suggest that initial caregiver depression is a factor in the decision to terminate care for the disabled elderly at home.