Abstract
The financial difficulty of dementia caregivers and its effects on mental health has gained increasing attention from researchers. The present study examines the longitudinal relationship between financial difficulty and the depressive symptoms of dementia caregivers using matching methods to account for potential selection bias. Propensity score matching methods and mixed-effects models were used to determine the effects of financial difficulty on depressive symptoms among caregivers participating in the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) intervention program. Propensity score matching confirmed that caregivers experiencing financial difficulty were more likely to have depressive symptoms. The results suggest that dementia caregivers require support for their financial difficulty. Future research should fully examine the complex relationship between financial difficulty and the mental health of caregivers and how this issue can be addressed through assessment and intervention methods.
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Notes
The REACH study is a psychosocial intervention study of caregivers of people with dementia and their caregiving challenges. The REACH intervention program was conducted from 1999 to 2001, and the study participants were assigned to either the active intervention program or the control condition. The primary target of the intervention program was the depressive symptoms measured by the Center for Epidemiological Study for Depression (CESD). In contrast to the hypothesis, however, the intervention program was not effective in reducing depressive symptoms.
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Nam, I. Financial Difficulty Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Dementia Patient Caregivers. Community Ment Health J 52, 1093–1097 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0033-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0033-3