title: Factors associated with depression in older carers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is an adverse outcome frequently seen in carers. With the increasing ageing population and reliance on informal carers, this study aims to identify factors associated with depression in carers in the older age group, using factors that have not been previously investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 202 older carers using the Geriatric Depression scale, demographics, personality traits, attitudes to ageing and other carer characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased hours spent caring and higher levels of neuroticism were all factors associated with depression. The care-recipient diagnosis, other personality traits, attitudes to ageing, leisure-physical activity (PA) and domestic-PA were not significantly associated with depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings have important implications for interventions to target at-risk carers.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Kew, Victoria, Australia.|National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Unit, Melbourne Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.affiliation: National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Briony
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dow
authors.affiliation: National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cyarto
authors.affiliation: National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Swinburne Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.affiliation: National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Kew, Victoria, Australia.|School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and the Western Australia Centre for Health and Aging, University of Western Australia, Perth, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lautenschlager
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000150:complications; D010551:Personality; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: carers; depression; personality; physical activity