Gender differences in the evolution of depressive symptoms in older caregivers in Spain using SHARE cohort data

Population ageing has increased the need for informal caregiving, particularly in Spain, where family care remains central. Informal caregiving has been associated with poorer mental health outcomes. This study aims at investigating the evolution of depressive symptoms over a 10-year period among older adults according to caregiving role.

This longitudinal study used data from waves 4 (2011) to 9 (2021/2022) of the Spanish sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 3482). Depressive symptoms were measured with the EURO-D scale, while informal caregiving status was defined as regular unpaid care provided to household members. Sex-stratified generalized linear mixed models examined trajectories of depressive symptoms over time, including an interaction between wave and caregiving status, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health variables.

Caregivers showed worse baseline health status and significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, with female caregivers reporting the highest (4.5 vs 2.6, p < 0.001). Among male caregivers, depressive symptoms increased significantly in wave 5 (β̂ = 0.281, p = 0.003), wave 6 (β̂ = 0.407, p < 0.001), and wave 8 (β̂ = 0.344, p = 0.014). Among female caregivers, depressive symptoms increased progressively over time, reaching statistical significance in wave 8 (β̂ = 0.230, p = 0.036) and wave 9 (β̂ = 0.366, p = 0.002).

Caregivers showed different trajectories of depressive symptoms over time compared with non-caregivers, with patterns differing by sex. These findings emphasize the need for enhanced support for informal caregivers and for public health interventions addressing sex-related disparities in mental health among older caregivers.