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The Role of Social and Psychological Resources in the Evolution of Depression in Caregivers*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui ,
Alicia LlácerCentro  and
François Béland
Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui*
Affiliation:
Université de Montréal
Alicia LlácerCentro
Affiliation:
Nacional de Epidemiología, Madrid
François Béland
Affiliation:
Université de Montréal
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to:/Les demandes de tirés-a-part doivent être adressées à : Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui, Ph.D., Département de Médecine sociale et préventive, Faculté de Médecine, P.O. Box 6128, Centre-Ville Postal Station, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7. (maria.victoria.zunzunegui@umontreal.ca).
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Abstract

This article discusses a longitudinal study of caregivers (n = 195) from a representative sample of caregivers pf Spanish, ADL-disabled persons, aged 65 and over carried out to assess the role of social support and religiosity in the development of depression. Depressive symptomatology was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. One year later, 119 of the caregivers were contacted again. Stability of depression over 1 year was observed in most participants. Poor physical health and low self-esteem, as well as incontinence in the care recipients, were significant predictors of the development of depressive symptoms. Social support had a differential effect on the development of depression, depending on how much assistance with activities of daily living the caregivers had to provide. Religiosity seemed to have no effect. Depression in caregivers is related more to their health and psychosocial resources than to the amount of care they provide. Poor health status, low self-esteem, and lack of emotional support may be useful indicators in identifying caregivers at high risk for depression.

Résumé

Le présent article commente une étude longitudinale de fournisseurs de soins (n = 195) tirée d'un échantillonnage représentatif de fournisseurs de soins auprès de personnes espagnoles invalides âgées de 65 ans et plus et dont le but était d'évaluer le rôle du soutien social et des croyances religieuses dans le développement de la dépression. La symptomatologie dépressive a été évaluée en utilisant l'échelle CES (Center for Epidemiologic Studies) pour mesurer la dépression. Un an plus tard, 119 personnes parmi ces fournisseurs de soins ont été contactées de nouveau. On a constaté, chez la plupart des participants, l'état stable de leur dépression sur une période continue d'une année. Une mauvaise santé physique, un sentiment de dévalorisation ainsi que l'incontinence des bénéficiaires des soins constituaient des signes avantcoureurs du développement de symptômes dépressifs. Le soutien social a produit un effet différent sur le développement de la dépression, selon le niveau d'aide devant être prodigué par les fournisseurs de soins dans l'accomplissement des diverses activités quotidiennes. Les croyances religieuses semblent n'avoir eu aucune incidence. La dépression chez les fournisseurs de soins dépend plus de leur santé et de leurs ressources psychosociales que du niveau de soins qu'ils prodiguent. Un mauvais état de santé, un sentiment de dévalorisation et l'absence de soutien émotif peuvent constituer des indices utiles dans l'identification des fournisseurs de soins qui courent un plus grand risque de dépression.

Keywords

depressionsocial supportfamily caregiverslongitudinal studiesdépressionsoutien socialfournisseurs de soinsétudes longitudinales
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , Fall/Automne 2002 , pp. 357 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2002

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Footnotes

*

This work was financed by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias: Project 95/549.

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