Depression And Anxiety for long Term Care Givers

September 22, 2007

Other interesting studies have consistently found that long-term care givers are at risk of high levels of psychological distress, leading in some cases to psychiatric disorders such as major depression disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, which generally require treatment. Major depression is more than just feeling sad or blue for a few days. It is a serious condition that leaves the individual feeling a loss of pleasure in all activities and pastimes which persists relentlessly over time. The depressed individual may have a poor appetite or significant weight loss, which may complicate health issues in the elderly. There may be disturbances in sleep, loss of energy, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate, and sometimes recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation.

Depression may not be readily apparent in the older caregiver. EI-derly depressed individuals may not describe themselves as being depressed, preferring instead to suffer silently. They may not be inclined to speak of feelings of despair, poor self-esteem, and worthlessness, and may be less inclined to complain of guilt. Instead, the elderly caregiver may be more likely to complain about feeling tired, loss of energy, sleep lessness, poor appetite, or a vague array of physical problems. The depressed elderly are less prone to tears and may be more likely to express their depression by appearing irritable. It is important to diagnose and treat depression. It can be a fatal disorder, and it is a tragedy for the caregiver to suffer when treatment can greatly relieve the distress and discomfort of depression.

Research studies have reported rates of depression which vary from 10 to 50 percent of the caregivers studied. One study at the University of Washington found that spouse caregivers who have a prior history of psychiatric disorders such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder were significantly more likely to develop a major depression or other psychiatric disorder while caring for their Alzheimer spouse than did caregivers without a prior history of a psychiatric disorder. Also interesting were findings that the caregivers who had a prior history of depression or anxiety were twice as likely to suffer recurrences than members of the control group who were not Alzheimer caregivers, but who did have a prior history of depression or anxiety.

It will be important to assess carefully and realistically the capacity of the caregiver to provide care. This will need to occur at several points throughout the course of the illness. The person providing care may be successful at managing the patient early in the illness, but as demands increase and the primary caregiver attempts to do more and more, reevaluation of the caregiver’s health and resources becomes very important, otherwise it may well be necessary to provide medical care to the care giver as well. This is especially true for caregivers who have a history of depression and anxiety. Fortunately, depression is a disorder which can be treated with good results. By ensuring that the caregiver has sufficient support, someone to confide in, and plenty of time off, depression may be prevented. If depression is caught and treated early, the caregiver will have much greater physical and emotional strength to cope with the demands of this disorder and may delay the need for nursing home care.

Posted in Alzhemier Disease