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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias logoLink to American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
. 2007 Aug-Sep;22(4):273–285. doi: 10.1177/1533317507301367

Depressed Mood in Informal Caregivers of Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Yueh-Feng Yvonne Lu 1, Mary Guerriero Austrom 2, Susan M Perkins 3, Tamilyn Bakas 4, Martin R Farlow 5, Feng He 6, Shelia Jin 7, Anthony Gamst 8
PMCID: PMC10846019  PMID: 17712158

Abstract

This study estimates the prevalence of depressed mood in caregivers of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and assesses whether demographics, stressors, intrapsychic strain, and gain are associated with depressed mood. A secondary analysis of baseline data from the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study MCI trial was conducted using a cross-sectional, correlational design. Descriptive statistics to estimate the prevalence of caregiver depressed mood and univariate and block-wise logistic regression analyses were used. The prevalence of depressed mood in 769 caregivers was 24.6% (95% confidence interval, 21.5-27.7). The odds of being depressed were significantly higher in younger, nonspousal caregivers with less education, who cared for MCI patients with lower activities of daily living functioning, and who perceived greater relational deprivation, higher levels of self-loss, and personal gain. Controlling for relevant variables, relational deprivation and caregiver education continued to be significantly associated with depressed mood. Relational deprivation may be important for future interventions.

Keywords: caregiving, depression, mild cognitive impairment, stress

Full Text

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Contributor Information

Yueh-Feng Yvonne Lu, Indiana University School of Nursing, Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Indianapolis IN, yuelu@iupui.edu .

Mary Guerriero Austrom, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.

Susan M. Perkins, Division of Biostatistics, Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.

Tamilyn Bakas, Indiana University School of Nursing, Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Indianapolis IN.

Martin R. Farlow, Neurology Department Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Feng He, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Univ. of California, San Diego, CA.

Shelia Jin, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Univ. of California, San Diego, CA.

Anthony Gamst, Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study University of California, San Diego, California.

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