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Depression and distress predict time to cardiovascular disease in dementia caregivers

Brent T Mausbach1, Thomas L Patterson, Yaron G Rabinowitz

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0680, USA. bmausbach@ucsd.edu

Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
|September 12, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Depressive symptoms and distress from patient behaviors increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in dementia caregivers. Managing caregiver mental health is crucial for preventing CVD in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Public Health
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Dementia family caregivers experience significant psychological distress.
  • Patient problem behaviors can exacerbate caregiver distress.
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and distress from patient problem behaviors and the time to developing a cardiovascular disease (CVD) diagnosis.
  • To assess the impact on 643 dementia family caregivers.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal, prospective study design over 18 months.
  • Caregivers free from CVD at baseline were assessed for CVD onset at 6, 12, and 18-month follow-ups.
  • Days to CVD onset was the primary outcome measure.

Main Results:

  • 32 participants (5%) developed CVD during the study.
  • Higher depressive symptoms (p = .040) predicted shorter time to CVD diagnosis.
  • Increased distress from patient problem behaviors (p = .034) also predicted shorter time to CVD diagnosis, after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated depressive symptoms may heighten caregivers' risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Caregiver distress stemming from patient behaviors is linked to an increased risk of negative health outcomes, including CVD.
  • Interventions targeting caregiver mental well-being may mitigate CVD risk.
Abstract

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