A Broader View of Family Caregiving: Effects of Caregiving and Caregiver Conditions on Depressive Symptoms, Health, Work, and Social Isolation
A Broader View of Family Caregiving: Effects of Caregiving and Caregiver Conditions on Depressive Symptoms, Health, Work, and Social Isolation
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DOI：
10.1093/geronb/gbp015
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发表时间：
2009-11-01
影响因子：
6.2
通讯作者：
Porter, Martha
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Robison, Julie;Fortinsky, Richard;Porter, Martha
目标。非正式护理人员提供了大部分的长期护理。本研究在具有代表性的全州样本中，在照顾情况的多种特征的背景下，检查了照顾的六种健康和心理社会结果。数据来自2007年康涅狄格州长期护理需求评估的4041名受访者。分析调查了护理是否会对抑郁症状、健康、缺勤和社会隔离产生负面影响。Logistic回归检验了照顾者特征和照顾状况对这些健康和社会心理结果的独立影响。照顾者比不照顾者对自己的健康状况评价更好，也不会报告更多的抑郁症状或社会孤立。与照护者同住、收入不足以及照护者对社区长期照护服务的需求未得到满足与多种负面结果有关。当考虑到这些其他因素时，被照顾者的记忆问题和照顾者/被照顾者的关系与健康或社会心理结果无关。照顾本身不会导致抑郁、健康状况不佳或社会孤立的症状。许多照护者确实需要在培训和教育、喘息和身心卫生保健方面得到支持。这样的项目应该为面临特定压力条件的护理人员提供外展服务，因为并非所有护理人员都会经历负面后果。
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.