Does depression prior to caregiving increase vulnerability to depressive symptoms among caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease?

Based on the vulnerability model of depression, this study tested the hypothesis that caregivers with prior depression are more likely to be depressed during caregiving than caregivers without prior depression. We further hypothesized an interaction effect in which caregivers with prior depression would be affected more by care-recipient dependency in activities of daily living and care-recipient depressive symptoms than those without prior depression. In a sample of 111 caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease, in an additive regression model, neither 'prior depressive symptoms' nor the clinically more serious 'prior depressive syndrome' was related to depressive symptoms during caregiving. In an interaction model, for caregivers with either 'no prior depression' or 'prior depressive symptoms,' the greater the care-recipient dependencies in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), the greater were the depressive symptoms during caregiving. For caregivers with a 'prior depressive syndrome', however, the greater the IADL dependency, the fewer were the depressive symptoms during caregiving. This unexpected finding suggests that caregivers with a history of clinically significant depression are not necessarily more prone to depressive symptoms when caregiving responsibilities, at least for instrumental activities, are high. This result questions the vulnerability model of depression when applied to older caregivers.

A longitudinal study of the relationship between levels of depression among persons with Alzheimer's disease and levels of depression among their family caregivers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects, over time, of depressive symptoms in persons with Alzheimer's disease on depression in their family caregivers. In a sample of 353 patients and caregivers, multilevel longitudinal analysis was used to accommodate an observational design in which the number of observation points and the intervals between points varied across caregivers. The rate of change (increase) in caregiver depression was predicted by the rate of change (increase) in patient depressive symptoms and by increase in patient dependency in instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs). Acceleration of the increase in caregiver depression was predicted by acceleration in patient dependency in instrumental and basic ADLs but not by acceleration in patient depressive symptoms. These findings indicate the importance of measuring the rate and acceleration of change in patient characteristics in order to understand caregiver depression. They also support early interventions for caregivers.

Burden and well-being: the same coin or related currency.

To examine whether caregiver burden and general well-being are opposite sides of the same coin or distinct constructs, we compared burden (in physical, mental, financial, and social domains) and well-being (in the same domains, but with separate objective and subjective measures). The domains of burden and well-being were examined first as correlates of one another, second as correlates of antecedents in the caregiving situation, and finally, as predictors of likelihood to institutionalize. We conclude that burden and well-being are not opposite sides of the same coin, but rather related currency, each useful for tapping unique facets of the caregiving experience.

Effects of group interventions on cognition and depression in nursing home residents.

The effects of cognitive-behavioral group therapy, focused visual imagery group therapy, and education-discussion groups on cognition, depression, hopelessness, and dissatisfaction with life were studied among depressed nursing home residents. Seventy-six depressed subjects with mild to moderate cognitive decline participated in nurse-led 24-week protocols. Data were collected 4 weeks before the interventions, 8 and 20 weeks after treatment initiation, and 4 weeks after treatment termination. There were no significant changes in depression, hopelessness, or life satisfaction scores for any of the three conditions. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral and focused visual imagery groups showed a significant improvement beginning 8 weeks after treatment initiation on cognitive scores. These findings are encouraging indications that cognitive-behavioral and focused visual imagery group therapies may reduce cognitive impairment in depressed nursing home residents with mild to moderate cognitive decline.

Assessment of functional ability in Alzheimer disease: a review and a preliminary report on the Cleveland Scale for Activities of Daily Living.

Assessment of activities of daily living (ADL) in Alzheimer disease (AD) is critical in establishing the diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, evaluating the efficacy of treatment interventions, and determining the need for health and social services. The proper method to measure ADL depends on the purposes to which the scale is to be put. Existing ADL scales differ as to the type of behaviors assessed, the nature of the observations made, and the manner in which the observations are quantified. These scales were not specifically designed to evaluate changes in the nature and extent of the broad spectrum of functional difficulties seen in individuals with AD. We describe the Cleveland Scale for Activities of Daily Living (CSADL), an informant-based instrument designed to expand upon the capacity of existing physical and instrumental ADL scales by assessing both premorbid and current component acts (e.g., initiation versus implementation) of daily living functions.

Coping and health outcomes in spouse caregivers of persons with dementia.

The effects of different coping patterns on the physical health, depression, and anxiety experienced by 60 spouse caregivers of persons with dementia were examined, using Lazarus and Folkman's cognitive model of stress and coping. In addition to coping, the model included the following predictors: severity of the patient's memory and behavior problems, caregiver's appraisal of the stressfulness of those problems, and caregiver's appraisal of their options for managing caregiving. The predictors did not explain a significant amount of the variance in caregivers' physical health, but they did explain 43% of the variance in both depression and anxiety. The only coping pattern that added to the explanations was Wishing-Emotive coping, which consisted of the coping subscales of escape-avoidance, confrontive coping, and accepting responsibility. Caregivers' appraisal of stress was a significant predictor of depression and anxiety, but neither the severity of the patients' problems nor caregivers' appraisal of options was a significant predictor of any of the health outcomes.

Changes in resident mix in nursing homes: cognitive and sensory data from a (redesigned) sampling plan.

In planning and implementing a study, we unintentionally and serendipitously obtained data about changes in resident mix over a 2.8-yr. period. We screened residents of a 184-bed nursing home for cognition and sensorium in October 1984 to assess sampling feasibility for a grant proposal in preparation. At that time, 65.2% of the residents met the sampling criteria. However, in July/August 1987, after award of funding, only 5.4% of residents of the same nursing home met the cognitive and sensory criteria. We were forced to recruit from an additional six nursing homes, in which only 9.3% of residents met the sampling criteria.

Alzheimer's disease. Involving nursing in the development and implementation of health care for patients and families.

This article focuses on integrating nurses into the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical, inpatient, community-based, and in-home services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and for their families.