Does Duration of Spousal Caregiving Affect Risk of Depression Onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Citation

Capistrant, Benjamin D.; Berkman, Lisa; & Glymour, M. Maria (2014). Does Duration of Spousal Caregiving Affect Risk of Depression Onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(8), 766-770. PMCID: PMC3785551

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association of current and long-term spousal caregiving with risk of depression in a nationally (U.S.) representative sample of older adults.
METHODS: We studied married and depression-free Health and Retirement Study respondents aged 50 years and older (n = 9,420) at baseline from 2000 to 2010. Current (≥14 hours per week of help with instrumental/activities of daily living for a spouse in the most recent biennial survey) and long-term caregiving (care at two consecutive surveys) were used to predict onset of elevated depressive symptoms (≥3 on a modified Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) with discrete-time hazards models and time-updated exposure and covariate information.
RESULTS: Current caregiving was associated with significant elevations in risk of depression onset (hazard ratio: 1.64; Wald

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.073

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2014

Journal Title

American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

Author(s)

Capistrant, Benjamin D.
Berkman, Lisa
Glymour, M. Maria

PMCID

PMC3785551