Factors Predicting Depressive Symptoms among Caregivers of Dependent Elderly
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Abstract
Purpose: To investigate predicting factors of caregivers’ preparedness, caregiver role strain, and rewards of caregiving on depressive symptoms among caregivers of dependent elderly.
Design: Correlational predictive design.
Methods: Participants were 116 primary caregivers who had been taking care of dependent elderly receiving treatment at a tertiary hospital, Bangkok. Data were collected by using questionnaires including demographic data, caregivers’ preparedness, caregiver role strain, rewards of caregiving, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation, and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyze data.
Main findings: The study findings revealed that most caregivers were female with an average age of 51.72 years and 75% were adult children of the dependent elderly. Depressive symptoms were found 18.1% in caregivers. The study factors including preparedness for family care, caregiver role strain, and reward of caregiving could together explain 45% of the variance of depressive symptoms among the caregivers (adjusted R2 = .45. The factors predicting depressive symptoms with statistical significance were role strain from economic burden ( = .31, t = 3.63, p < .001) and caregivers’ preparedness (
= - .30, t = -3.18, p = .002).
Conclusion and recommendations: The results suggest that nurses should assess caregivers’ preparedness and economic burden in caring for the dependent elderly. An intervention should be provided to reduce caregivers’ depressive symptoms so that they would be competent to care for the dependent elderly effectively.
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