The Burden of Caring for Dependent Older People and the Resultant Risk of Depression in Family Primary Caregivers in Italy

Cristina Gagliardi, Flavia Piccinini, Giovanni Lamura, Georgia Casanova, Paolo Fabbietti and Marco Socci
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Cristina Gagliardi: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Flavia Piccinini: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Giovanni Lamura: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Georgia Casanova: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Paolo Fabbietti: Unit of Geriatric Pharmacoepidemiology and Biostatistics, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Marco Socci: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Long-Term Care (LTC) for older people in need of care is a critical issue affecting the quality of life of family caregivers (as well as older people), encompassing both negative and positive caregiving experiences. Providing support to family caregivers is essential because they play a crucial role in sharing the societal burden of LTC for the growing frail older population. By presenting the results of a survey carried out in 2019–2020 in Central Italy, this study aims to describe the characteristics and estimate by a multivariate logistic model the correlates of depressive symptoms in 369 primary caregivers of dependent older people. Caregivers are mostly women who provide a high amount of care in terms of weekly hours as a result of insufficient assistance from public or private care services. More than half of the sample show depressive symptoms, indicating a fairly serious situation. Perceived burden is a strong predictor of depression. The findings offer suggestions and policy implications. The fragmentation of the care context should be addressed by allocating sufficient funding to expand the supply of public in-kind services and integrate cash-for-care schemes, thus alleviating the burden and mitigating the negative consequences of care on physical and mental health.

Keywords: family caregivers; older people; Long-Term Care; care burden; depression; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3375-:d:770396

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