Depression and Caregiver Burden Among Rural Elder Caregivers

Butler, Sandra S.; Turner, Winston M.; Kaye, Lenard W.; Ruffin, Leah; Downey, Roberta

doi:10.1300/j083v46n01_04

Cited by 74 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…12,13,14 Although informal caregiving represents an opportunity for increased intimacy and connection, it is associated with significant caregiver burden. 5,6 Informal caregiving impairs health and well-being of the informal caregivers, 15,16,17 especially spouses 18,19 who are particularly susceptible to depression as a consequence of providing an extensive range of care to their partner. 19 Informal caregiving is also associated with financial losses, particularly for female informal caregivers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 Informal caregiving is also associated with financial losses, particularly for female informal caregivers. 18 Informal caregivers feel that they do not receive sufficient support and recognition from health care professionals 20 and informal caregivers' poor health status has been shown to affect patients' condition and prognosis negatively. 21,22 As the prevalence of HF and the impaired health and well-being of the patients' informal caregivers will increase, 23 it is clearly time to recognize their critical role in health care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Informal Caregivers’ Experiences and Needs When Caring for a Relative With Heart Failure

et al. 2016

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link Conflicts of interestThere are no conflicts of interest. Number of words and tablesThere are 4307 words and two tables in the manuscript. AbstractBackground: Informal caregivers play an important role for persons with heart failure in strengthening medication adherence, encouraging self-care and identifying deterioration in health status. Caring for a relative with heart failure may affect informal caregivers' well-being and cause caregiver burden. Objective: To explore informal caregivers' experiences and needs when caring for a relative with heart failure in their homes. Methods: The study has a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Interviews were held with 14 informal caregivers. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Two themes emerged: "Living in a changed existence" and "Struggling and sharing with health care". The first theme describes informal caregivers' experiences, needs and ways of moving forward when living in a changed existence with their relative. Informal caregivers were responsible for the functioning of everyday life which challenged earlier established roles and lifestyle. They experienced an ever-present uncertainty related to the relative's impending sudden deterioration and to lack of knowledge about the condition. Incongruence was expressed between their own and their relative's understanding and acceptance of the heart failure condition. They also 2 expressed being at peace with their relative and managed to restore new strength and motivation to care. The second theme describes informal caregivers' experiences, needs and ways of handling the health care. They felt counted upon but not accounted for as their carewas taken for granted while their need to be seen and acknowledged by health care professionals was not met. Informal caregivers experienced an ever-present uncertainty regarding their lack of involvement with health care and not being provided with adequate knowledge. They were not invited to share information with health care professionals and their specific expertise was not requested. Health care professionals had neither provided them with knowledge on heart failure nor with information on support groups in the municipality.Informal caregivers appreciated the contacts with the registered nurses specialized in heart failure. Informal caregivers' own initiatives to participate in meetings were positively received by health care professionals. Conclusions: Informal caregivers' daily life involves decisive changes that are experienced as burdensome. They handled their new situations using different strategies in order to preserve a sense of "self" and of "us". Informal caregivers express a need for more involvement with health care professionals which may facilitate informal caregivers' situation and improve the dyadic congruence in the relation with their relative.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informal Caregivers’ Experiences and Needs When Caring for a Relative With Heart Failure

et al. 2016

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“…Given et al, 2001;Kim, Duberstein, Sörensen, & Larson, 2005;Langer, Abrams, & Syrjala, 2003;Pitceathly & Maguire, 2003) and sometimes clinical levels of depression (Vanderwerker, Laff, Kadan-Lottick, McColl, & Prigerson, 2005). Studies have found that 20% to 50% of caregivers report clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms during early survivorship (around the time of diagnosis and treatment) and end-of-life phases (Butler, Turner, Kaye, Ruffin, & Downey, 2005;Carter, 2003;Covinsky et al, 2003;Kim et al, 2005;Raveis, Karus, & Siegel, 1998;Siminoff, Wilson-Genderson, & Baker, 2010;Swore Fletcher, Dodd, Schumacher, & Miaskowski, 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among cancer caregivers 5 years after the relative’s cancer diagnosis.

Kim

Shaffer

Carver

et al. 2014

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

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Objective: Few studies address the longer term psychological adjustment of family caregivers who provide care to a relative with cancer. This study aimed to document levels of depressive symptoms among caregivers 5 years after their relative's initial diagnosis and to identify psychosocial factors that may prospectively predict caregivers' depressive symptoms at that time. Method: Cancer caregivers participated in a prospective longitudinal study (N ϭ 416; mean age ϭ 55, 65.4% female, 92.9% non-Hispanic White). Demographics and caregiving experiences were measured 2 years after their relative's cancer diagnosis at Time 1 (T1). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (Radloff, 1977) at T1 and again at 5 years postdiagnosis (T2). By T2, caregivers had emerged into 3 groups: former caregivers whose recipients were now in remission, current caregivers, and bereaved caregivers. Results: Controlling for T1 depressive symptoms, T1 caregiving stress and lack of social support were both significant prospective predictors of greater depressive symptoms at T2 (ps Ͻ .02). Independently, bereaved caregivers reported the greatest depressive symptoms both prior to and after the relative's death. Those who were actively caregiving at T2 displayed the largest increase in depressive symptoms from T1 to T2 (p Ͻ .001). Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of caregiving stress and social support early in caregivership, even for outcomes that emerge 3 years later. Findings suggest that family members who are actively involved in cancer care at the 5-year mark may benefit from programs designed to improve their adjustment to long-term caregiving.

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“…Studies have found that 32%-50% of caregivers had depressive symptoms at a level suggesting clinical depression [7,8]. One study by Sklenarova et al [6] revealed that caregivers exhibited higher anxiety and distress compared with actual cancer patients and 43.6% had needs that were unmet [6].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treating Depression in the Caregivers of Cancer Patients

Louis¹

2017

JPCPY

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Partners often assume the role of caregiver when cancer is brought into the home. The support caregivers provide to cancer patients has immeasurable value. However, care giving can take a significant toll on loved ones from both a psychological and physiological perspective; sometimes to the point of producing caregiver burden. One of the diseases most prevalent in caregivers is depression. Signs and symptoms of depression amongst caregivers vary from mild to severe and people respond quite differently to the life stressors they face. While, the exact cause of depression is not known, proven research correlates it with an internal chemical and/or neurotransmitter imbalance that can be triggered by stress, chronic stress in particular. As a mood disorder, depression affects how you feel, think, and function in the performance of your daily activities. It is critically important to identify caregivers exhibiting depressive symptoms and first, to provide them with both emotional and psychological support, and second, so as to ensure the individual battling cancer receives optimal support from their loved ones. This review article serves to promote health awareness and the unmet needs of cancer patient caregivers, the presence of caregiver burden, and the impact that stress can have on one's neurophysiological processes to precipitate the development of mental illness such as depression.

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Depression and Caregiver Burden Among Rural Elder Caregivers

Cited by 74 publications

References 16 publications

Informal Caregivers’ Experiences and Needs When Caring for a Relative With Heart Failure

Informal Caregivers’ Experiences and Needs When Caring for a Relative With Heart Failure

Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among cancer caregivers 5 years after the relative’s cancer diagnosis.

Treating Depression in the Caregivers of Cancer Patients

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