Factors Related to Depression of Caregivers of Older Adult with Dementia

Abstract

                Dementia is a chronic disease with long progression and growing severity with increasing age. If dementia progresses as continually to the point that patients are unable to support themselves, patients are required more care with effects on caregivers in many areas. This study was a descriptive research aimed to examine the factors related to depression in caregivers of older adult with dementia by using the conceptual framework of Ecological model of health behavior. The subjects were 160 primary caregivers who took older adult with dementia for treatment at the Older Adult Clinic and the Memory Clinic, Out-Patient Department, Ramathibodi Hospital. Data collection was carried out from July to September 2017. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression statistics with significance set at .05

            Findings indicated that the participants had depression 6.3%. The factors positively correlated with depression in caregivers of older adult with dementia are age, chronic disease and length of care (r =0.20, 0.17, 0.21, p-value < .05). The factors negatively correlated with depression in caregivers of older adult with dementia are care readiness, relationships between caregivers and older adult with dementia, caregivers’ social support and participation in activities of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association of Thailand (r = -0.19, -0.16, -0.29, -0.21, p-value < .05). Caregivers’ social support, age and length of care were able to predict depression in caregivers at 14.6 %.

            The findings can be applied as a guideline for enabling caregivers of older adult with dementia cope and manage problems appropriately as they adapt and live with older adult with dementia happily while having good quality of life.