Dataset Information

Does duration of spousal caregiving affect risk of depression onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

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 χ(2), 1 df: 28.34; p <0.0001). Effect estimates for long-term caregiving were similar (hazard ratio: 1.52, Wald χ(2), 1 df: 3.63; p = 0.06).

Conclusions

Current spousal caregiving significantly predicted onset of depression; the association was not exacerbated by longer duration of caregiving.

SUBMITTER: Capistrant BD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3785551 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Does duration of spousal caregiving affect risk of depression onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Capistrant Benjamin D BD Berkman Lisa F LF Glymour M Maria MM

The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 20130620 8

<h4>Objectives</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 ...[more]

PMID: 23791537

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Dataset Information

Does duration of spousal caregiving affect risk of depression onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Does duration of spousal caregiving affect risk of depression onset? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Similar Datasets

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