Differences in depression severity in family caregivers of hospitalized individuals with dementia and family caregivers of outpatients with dementia

Abstract

Objectives: To determine if family caregivers of hospitalized individuals with dementia exhibit greater depression severity than caregivers of outpatients.

Methods: Caregivers were recruited during care recipient treatment. Measures assessed depression, stress, burden, and grief.

Results: Forty-one caregivers of a hospitalized patient and 44 caregivers of an outpatient (total N = 85) were recruited. The groups did not differ except caregivers of hospitalized patients were younger and less likely to reside with the care recipient. Regarding depression, 63.4% of caregivers of a hospitalized patient and 43.2% of caregivers of an outpatient scored within the clinical depressive symptoms range. Independent sample t-tests showed that caregivers of a hospitalized patient had greater severity of depression, burden, and grief. Caregiving for a hospitalized person remained a significant predictor of greater depression severity in regression models.

Conclusions: Family caregiving for a person hospitalized for psychiatric treatment of dementia is a risk factor for depression.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: During a portion of the data collection for this manuscript, Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD served as an unpaid consultant to a project supported by Forest Research Institute. Robert Kohn, MD has received honoraria from Pfizer, Novartis and Forest; and research support from the National Institute on Aging and the Health Resources and Services Administration. Stephen Salloway, MD, MS has served on the scientific advisory board of Elan, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Eisai, Astra Zeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb; received honorarium from Eisai Inc., Pfizer Inc., Novartis, Forest, Elan and Athena Diagnostics as well as data monitoring from Merck-Serono and Medivation; also, received research support from Elan, Wyeth, Janssen Immunotherapy, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Pfizer, Medivation, Myriad, GlaxoSmithKline, Neurochem, Cephalon, Bayer, Forest, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Normal and Rosalie Fain Family Foundation, the John and Happy White Foundation and the Champlin Foundation.