The adverse mental health of carers: Does the patient diagnosis play a role?

Abstract

Objectives The adverse mental health effects of caring have been studied, frequently in carers of people with dementia. Less is known about the mental health of carers of people with other conditions. This study compared depression and burden in older carers looking after people with a variety of conditions. Design, methods and measures Over 200 older carers interested in participating in the Improving Mood through Physical Activity in Carers and Care-recipient Trial were included in this cross-sectional study, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI). Results Overall there were 43% of carers who were depressed and a quarter of them reported moderate-to-sev..