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- Caregiving: Tips for long-distance caregivers
- Caregiver depression: Prevention counts
- Adult day service: What you need to know
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- Alzheimer's: When to stop driving
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- Alzheimer's care: Simple tips for daily tasks
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Caregiver depression: Prevention counts
Caregiver depression can take a toll on you and your ability to care for your loved one. Understand the signs of caregiver depression — and know how to prevent it.
By Mayo Clinic staffCaregiving is often physically and emotionally stressful. In an effort to provide the best care possible, you might put your loved one's needs before your own. In turn, you could develop feelings of sadness, anger and loneliness. Sometimes, these emotions can trigger caregiver depression.
What are the symptoms of caregiver depression?
Everyone has a bad day sometimes. However, to be diagnosed with depression — also called major depression — you must have five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period. At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure. Symptoms include:
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, such as feeling sad, empty or tearful
- Diminished interest or feeling no pleasure in all — or almost all — activities most of the day, nearly every day
- Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day
- Insomnia or increased desire to sleep nearly every day
- Either restlessness or slowed behavior that can be observed by others
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day
- Trouble making decisions, or trouble thinking or concentrating nearly every day
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt
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References
- Caregiving and depression. Family Caregiver Alliance. http://caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=393. Accessed May 17, 2013.
- Mace NL, et al. The 36-Hour Day. 5th ed. Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2011:222.
- Caregiver depression. Alzheimer's Association. http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-caregiver-depression.asp. Accessed May 17, 2013.
- Peterson DM. Overview of the benefits and risks of exercise. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 17, 2013.
- Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-index.shtml. Accessed May 22, 2013.
- Depressive disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013. http://www.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed July 5, 2013.
- Takahashi PY (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 22, 2013.
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