Depression in frail elders: impact on family caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between depression among medically ill, frail elders and family caregivers' hours of care, health status, and quality of life.


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.
Sewitch
Maida J
MJ
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, St. Mary's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. maida.sewitch@mail.mcgill.ca
McCusker
Jane
J
Dendukuri
Nandini
N
Yaffe
Mark J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018454:Spouses