An Exploration of Perceptions of Possible Depression Prevention Services for Caregivers of Elderly or Chronically Ill Adults in Rural Georgia

Abstract

Caregiving for elderly or chronically ill adults can be stressful, contributing to a high rate of depression in caregivers. Rural caregivers are at particularly high risk due to reduced access to mental health care services. This study explored the acceptability among rural caregivers of introducing a program to prevent or alleviate depression. Focus groups with caregivers and community members were conducted in four rural counties of Georgia. Caregivers reported high levels of stress and depression and recommended the following interventions: support groups, respite care, a centralized source of information, training for caregivers and other community members, financial support, and a telephone hotline. There were more commonalities than differences across the locations, but some programmatic preferences and acceptability varied.

Using information and communication technologies to involve patients and the public in health education in rural and remote areas: a scoping review

“…1). All five were published after 1996 [24–28], with all but one [24–26, 28] being published between 2008 and 2013 (Table 1). Three studies were conducted in the United States (US) [25, 26, 28] and two in Australia [24, 27].…”

“…All five were published after 1996 [24–28], with all but one [24–26, 28] being published between 2008 and 2013 (Table 1). Three studies were conducted in the United States (US) [25, 26, 28] and two in Australia [24, 27]. Article study designs included: one review which included a case study [24], one program description [28], and three qualitative survey studies [25–27] (Table 1).…”

“…Table 2 shows the wide variance across studies including, the types of health education utilizing PPI, and the ICT type with its application. Rural areas were located in Minnesota, Georgia and Illinois in the US [25, 26, 28], and in Queensland, Australia [27]. One study did not specify a rural area but sought data on rural and Indigenous populations in Australia [24].…”

“…One study did not specify a rural area but sought data on rural and Indigenous populations in Australia [24]. Two studies concerned prevention programs targeting specific at-risk groups [25, 26], two studies involved larger-scale community education programs [24, 28], and one study focused on designing curriculum for medical students [27]. The various specific groups targeted included breast cancer survivors [25] and caregivers [26], while three studies ( n = 3) targeted the community at large [24, 27, 28].…”

“…Two studies concerned prevention programs targeting specific at-risk groups [25, 26], two studies involved larger-scale community education programs [24, 28], and one study focused on designing curriculum for medical students [27]. The various specific groups targeted included breast cancer survivors [25] and caregivers [26], while three studies ( n = 3) targeted the community at large [24, 27, 28]. The most frequent ICT used were the telephone ( n = 3) [25, 26, 28] and the Internet ( n = 3) [24–26].…”