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The psychological health of the family caregiver is negatively affected by providing care. Higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health effects are common among family members who care for an older relative or friend.
Caregivers show higher levels of depression. - Studies consistently report higher levels of depressive symptoms and mental health problems among caregivers than among their noncaregiving peers.
- Estimates show that between 40 to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with approximately one quarter to one half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression.
- Both caregiver depression and perceived burden increase as the care receiver's functional status declines. Thus, higher levels of clinical depression are attributed to people caring for individuals with dementia. Studies show that 30 to 40% of dementia caregivers suffer from depression and emotional stress.
- Depression and anxiety disorders found in caregivers persist and can even worsen after the placement of the patient in a nursing home. Many caregivers who institutionalize their relative report depressive symptoms and anxiety to be as high as it was when care was in the home.24
- Depressed caregivers are more likely to have coexisting anxiety disorders, substance abuse or dependence, and chronic disease. Depression is also one of the most common conditions associated with suicide attempts.
Caregivers suffer from high levels of stress and frustration. - Caregivers have higher levels of stress than noncaregivers. They also describe feeling frustrated, angry, drained, guilty or helpless as a result of providing care.
- ome 16% of caregivers feel emotionally strained and 26% say taking care of the care recipient is hard on them emotionally. An additional 13% of caregivers feel frustrated with the lack of progress made with the care recipient.
- Caregiving can also result in feeling a loss of self identity, lower levels of self esteem, constant worry, or feelings of uncertainty. Caregivers have less self-acceptance and feel less effective and less in control of their lives than noncaregivers.
- More than one-fifth (22%) of caregivers are exhausted when they go to bed at night, and many feel they cannot handle all their caregiving responsibilities.
- Caregivers who experience chronic stress may be at greater risk for cognitive decline including loss in short-term memory, attention and verbal IQ.
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