A broader view of family caregiving: effects of caregiving and caregiver conditions on depressive symptoms, health, work, and social isolation
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Informal caregivers provide the majority of long-term care. This study examined six health and psychosocial outcomes of caregiving, in the context of multiple characteristics of the caregiving situation, in a representative, statewide sample. METHODS: Data came from 4,041 respondents to the 2007 Connecticut Long-Term Care Needs Assessment. Analyses investigated whether caregiving negatively affects depressive symptoms, health, missing work, and social isolation. Logistic regressions tested the independent effects of caregiver characteristics and conditions of the caregiving situation on these health and psychosocial outcomes. RESULTS: Caregivers rate their health better than noncaregivers and do not report more depressive symptoms or social isolation. Living with the care receiver, inadequate income, and care receivers' unmet need for community-based long-term care services relate to multiple negative outcomes. Care receiver memory problems and caregiver/care receiver relationship do not relate to health or psychosocial outcomes when these other factors are considered. DISCUSSION: Caregiving per se does not lead to symptoms of depression, poor health, or social isolation. Many caregivers do need supports in training and education, respite, and physical and mental health care. Such programs should provide outreach to caregivers facing specific stressful conditions, as not all caregivers experience negative consequences.
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Community-based training and counseling can help reduce caregivers' burdens by equipping them with basic knowledge and skills.
“Community-based training and counseling can help reduce caregivers’ burdens by equipping them with basic knowledge and skills (77).”
From Caring alone: older adult care burdens, practices, and structural imbalances among China's one-child generation (2025) · cites this paper as [77]
The Discussion (page unavailable) identifies training and education as needed caregiver supports and links lack of community-based long-term care services to negative outcomes. It does not say that community-based training and counseling reduce caregiver burden by providing knowledge and skills. (LLM, conf=0.79)
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- Authors
- Robison, J., Fortinsky, R., Kleppinger, A., Shugrue, N., & Porter, M.
- Affiliations
- UConn Health (US)
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-03-24
- Volume
- 64B
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 788-798
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- OpenAlex
- W2137706476
- Cited by
- 306
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 29.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
- Keywords
- family caregiving, informal caregivers, depressive symptoms, caregiver health, social isolation, absenteeism, living arrangements, caregiver income, memory impairment, caregiver support programs
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Connecticut, Dementia, Depressive Disorder, Employment, Female, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Sex Factors, Social Isolation, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Cohort Studies, Caregivers, Cost of Illness
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