Spouse Caregivers and Dementia Relationships

Abstract

A review of the literature shows an association between depression and perceived burden in caregivers of dementia patients. These caregivers are often the spouses of cognitively impaired elders, and they experience an emotional toll with negative effects on their mental health and well-being. Findings from past research focus on spouses as caregivers and the influences of primary and secondary stressors on their depressive mood symptoms. The experiences of male caregivers with demented spouses differ from those of female caregivers with demented spouses, suggesting that either the gender of the patient, the gender of the caregiver, or both affect the experience of caregiving. The potential reasons for this difference are highlighted and compared. Implications for future work are discussed, such as the need to create and research interventions and assessments that can recognize and reduce caregiver burden and depression.