Factors Associated With Depression in Caregivers of Adults With Down Syndrome.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Factors Associated With Depression in Caregivers of Adults With Down Syndrome.
Authors: Bodde, Amy E., Helsel, Brian C., Danon, Jessica, Sherman, Joseph, Rice, Anna, Williams, Kristine, Forseth, Bethany, Donnelly, Joseph E., Ptomey, Lauren T.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. Mar2025, Vol. 69 Issue 3, p234-242. 9p.
Subjects: Prevention of mental depression, Mental depression risk factors, Risk assessment, Down syndrome, Psychological distress, Research funding, Humanity, Patient care, Services for caregivers, Burden of care, Family attitudes, Psychology of caregivers, Interpersonal relations, Caregiver attitudes, Grip strength
Abstract: Background: Family caregivers of those with developmental disabilities have higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with caregivers of those without development disability. Few studies have examined factors that contribute to caregiver depression, including the appraisal of caregiving responsibilities and the physical fitness and daily function of the care recipient. The purpose of this study was to identify intrapersonal (caregiver) and interpersonal (care recipient) factors associated with depressive symptoms in caregivers of adults with Down syndrome (DS). Methods: Twenty‐four adults with DS participating in a 12‐month physical activity trial completed physical fitness and function tests (VO2peak, hand grip strength, timed up and go, five times sit to stand) and activities of daily living (ADL) surveys at their baseline visit. Caregivers (n = 24) of the adults with DS completed surveys on caregiving distress, quality of life (QoL) and depressive symptoms. We evaluated the associations of these assessments on caregiver depressive symptoms using Mann–Whitney U tests and Spearman correlations. Results: Adults with DS were 23 ± 7.5 years, 58% female; caregivers were 54 ± 10 years, 100% female, 96% family members. Caregiver depressive symptoms were significantly associated with caregiving distress (p = 0.024) and caregiving QoL (r = −0.58, p = 0.003). Hand grip strength of care recipients was inversely correlated with caregiver depressive symptoms (r = −0.45, p = 0.03), but other assessments of physical function and ADL were not associated with caregiver depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Caregiver depressive symptoms were related to modifiable factors related to the caregiver and care recipient. Intervening to improve caregiving appraisal and functional strength of the care recipient may positively impact caregiver mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Intellectual Disability Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Be the first to leave a comment!
You must be logged in first