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. 2022 Feb 12;77(9):1740–1757. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbac035

Table 4.

Linear Mixed Model for Levels of Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety Among Informal Caregivers During COVID-19 Pandemic

Depressive symptoms Anxiety
Model 1
Estimate [95% CI]
Model 2
Estimate [95% CI]
Model 1
Estimate [95% CI]
Model 2
Estimate [95% CI]
COVID Survey time point (Baseline)
 Exit 0.41*** [0.22, 0.59] 0.27* [0.06, 0.47] 0.09 [−0.05,0.23] −0.03 [−0.18,0.12]
CLSA cohort (Tracking)
 Comprehensive 0.27** [0.11, 0.42] 0.28*** [0.12, 0.44] −0.04 [−0.17,0.08] −0.05 [−0.18,0.07]
Sex (Male)
 Female 0.81*** [0.65, 0.98] 0.80*** [0.63, 0.98] 0.78*** [0.65,0.91] 0.72*** [0.58,0.85]
Sex × Survey time point (Male)
 Female −0.16 [−0.32, 0.01] −0.20* [−0.37, −0.03] −0.14* [−0.26, −0.02] −0.14* [−0.26, −0.01]
Age (50–64 years old)
 65–74 years old −0.49*** [−0.67, −0.31] −0.43*** [−0.61, −0.25] −0.55*** [−0.70, −0.41] −0.48*** [−0.63, −0.34]
 75 years and older −0.69*** [−0.91, −0.48] −0.62*** [−0.84, −0.40] −0.89*** [−1.06, −0.72] −0.81*** [−0.98, −0.63]
Marital status (Married/common-law)
 Unmarried 0.31*** [0.15, 0.48] 0.36*** [0.19, 0.53] 0.08 [−0.05,0.21] 0.12 [−0.01,0.26]
Education (University degrees)
 No postsecondary education −0.37*** [−0.57, −0.18] −0.39*** [−0.59, −0.19] −0.06 [−0.21,0.10] −0.05 [−0.21,0.47]
 Some postsecondary education −0.30*** [−0.47, −0.14] −0.29** [−0.46, −0.12] 0.02 [−0.11,0.16] 0.04 [−0.09,0.18]
Work status (Unemployed/retired)
 Employed 0.25** [0.07, 0.43] 0.24* [0.05, 0.42] 0.34*** [0.19,0.48] 0.32*** [0.18,0.47]
Income ($100,000 and more)
 Less than $20,000 0.31* [0.01, 0.60] 0.37* [0.06, 0.67] 0.69*** [0.45,0.93] 0.72*** [0.47,0.96]
 $20,000–$49,999 0.20 [−0.04, 0.44] 0.26* [0.02, 0.50] 0.22* [0.03,0.41] 0.24* [0.04,0.43]
 $50,000–$99,999 0.29* [0.07, 0.51] 0.34** [0.12, 0.57] 0.16 [−0.02,0.33] 0.17 [−0.01,0.35]
Living area (Urban area)
 Rural and DA −0.41***[−0.60, −0.22] −0.41*** [−0.61, −0.22] −0.39*** [−0.54, −0.23] −0.37*** [−0.53, −0.22]
Country of birth (Foreign-born)
 Canada −0.26* [−0.46, −0.06] −0.28** [−0.48, −0.08] −0.31*** [−0.48, −0.15] −0.31*** [−0.47, −0.15]
Number of care receivers (1 care receiver)
 2 care receivers or more 0.11 [−0.03, 0.25] 0.05 [−0.10, 0.19] 0.29*** [0.18,0.41] 0.25*** [0.14,0.37]
Caregiving hour/week for main receiver (Fewer than 5 hr)
 5 hr or more 0.17 [−0.01, 0.35] 0.11 [−0.06, 0.29] 0.28*** [0.14,0.42] 0.19* [0.04,0.33]
Dwelling location of main receiver (Same household with caregiver)
 Out of caregiver’s household −0.14 [−0.35, 0.06] −0.20 [−0.41, 0.01] −0.23** [−0.39, −0.07] −0.28** [−0.45, −0.11]
 Health care institution −0.31* [−0.60, −0.02] −0.37* [−0.68, −0.07] −0.29* [−0.52, −0.06] −0.36** [−0.60, −0.12]
Dwelling location of main receiver × Survey time point (Same household with caregiver)
 Out of caregiver’s household −0.19 [−0.38, 0.01] −0.14 [−0.35, 0.07] −0.19** [−0.34, −0.05] −0.14 [0.29,0.02]
 Health care institution −0.02 [−0.31, 0.27] 0.04 [−0.27, 0.34] −0.01 [−0.23,0.20] 0.06 [−0.17,0.29]
Depressive symptoms at FUP1 0.58***[0.56, 0.60] 0.58*** [0.56, 0.59]
Increase caregiving hours (No)
 Yes
0.72*** [0.48, 0.96] 0.80*** [0.62,0.98]
Increase caregiving hours × Survey time point (No)
 Yes
0.16 [−0.13, 0.45] 0.02 [−0.20,0.24]
Unable to provide care (No)
 Yes
0.59*** [0.40, 0.78] 0.62*** [0.47,0.76]
Unable to provide care × Survey time point (No)
 Yes
0.13 [−0.15, 0.40] −0.06 [−0.27,0.14]
AIC 135,742.12 126,663.37 118,186.12.51 110,634.54

Notes: AIC = Akaike Information Criterion; CI = confidence interval; CLSA = Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging; COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; DA = dissemination area; FUP1 = Follow-up 1. Reference group is listed in (—).

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.