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WASHINGTON — Black women caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias are less likely to be depressed than their nonblack counterparts, Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
Dr. Sleath and her associates looked at data from the National Longitudinal Caregiver Study, a survey of informal caregivers of elderly male veterans diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's or dementia. The sample included 608 caregivers with depression, of whom 11% were African Americans. Overall, African Americans constituted 16% of the entire initial sample of more than 2,000 female caregivers.
The mean age of depressed caregivers was 67; 86% had a high school diploma or less.
The researchers found that white caregivers were almost twice as likely as African Americans to have depressive symptoms. “There are different positive reasons for that. Spirituality may play a role, as well as how you perceive something as a burden—African Americans may perceive caregiving differently than whites,” Dr. Sleath said. African Americans also were less likely to be using antidepressant and antianxiety medications.
More than 80% of caregivers with depressive symptoms were not on an antidepressant medication, but the caregivers who had more physician visits in the past 6 months were more likely to be taking antidepressants, she said. “In this population, it's probably very difficult for caregivers to go get therapy.”
The researchers found that caregivers who had more social support were actually more likely to be using antidepressants. “We find that interesting. Perhaps that's because the support network is telling them, 'Maybe you need to go on an antidepressant,'” she said.
Younger caregivers were more likely to be receiving antidepressants than older caregivers, and although slightly less than half of the caregivers had health insurance that covered prescription drugs, insurance did not seem to have an effect on medication use, she said.
Limitations of the study included using a self-reported mail-in questionnaire and that it did not examine other types of depression treatment.
WASHINGTON — Black women caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias are less likely to be depressed than their nonblack counterparts, Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
Dr. Sleath and her associates looked at data from the National Longitudinal Caregiver Study, a survey of informal caregivers of elderly male veterans diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's or dementia. The sample included 608 caregivers with depression, of whom 11% were African Americans. Overall, African Americans constituted 16% of the entire initial sample of more than 2,000 female caregivers.
The mean age of depressed caregivers was 67; 86% had a high school diploma or less.
The researchers found that white caregivers were almost twice as likely as African Americans to have depressive symptoms. “There are different positive reasons for that. Spirituality may play a role, as well as how you perceive something as a burden—African Americans may perceive caregiving differently than whites,” Dr. Sleath said. African Americans also were less likely to be using antidepressant and antianxiety medications.
More than 80% of caregivers with depressive symptoms were not on an antidepressant medication, but the caregivers who had more physician visits in the past 6 months were more likely to be taking antidepressants, she said. “In this population, it's probably very difficult for caregivers to go get therapy.”
The researchers found that caregivers who had more social support were actually more likely to be using antidepressants. “We find that interesting. Perhaps that's because the support network is telling them, 'Maybe you need to go on an antidepressant,'” she said.
Younger caregivers were more likely to be receiving antidepressants than older caregivers, and although slightly less than half of the caregivers had health insurance that covered prescription drugs, insurance did not seem to have an effect on medication use, she said.
Limitations of the study included using a self-reported mail-in questionnaire and that it did not examine other types of depression treatment.
WASHINGTON — Black women caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias are less likely to be depressed than their nonblack counterparts, Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
Dr. Sleath and her associates looked at data from the National Longitudinal Caregiver Study, a survey of informal caregivers of elderly male veterans diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's or dementia. The sample included 608 caregivers with depression, of whom 11% were African Americans. Overall, African Americans constituted 16% of the entire initial sample of more than 2,000 female caregivers.
The mean age of depressed caregivers was 67; 86% had a high school diploma or less.
The researchers found that white caregivers were almost twice as likely as African Americans to have depressive symptoms. “There are different positive reasons for that. Spirituality may play a role, as well as how you perceive something as a burden—African Americans may perceive caregiving differently than whites,” Dr. Sleath said. African Americans also were less likely to be using antidepressant and antianxiety medications.
More than 80% of caregivers with depressive symptoms were not on an antidepressant medication, but the caregivers who had more physician visits in the past 6 months were more likely to be taking antidepressants, she said. “In this population, it's probably very difficult for caregivers to go get therapy.”
The researchers found that caregivers who had more social support were actually more likely to be using antidepressants. “We find that interesting. Perhaps that's because the support network is telling them, 'Maybe you need to go on an antidepressant,'” she said.
Younger caregivers were more likely to be receiving antidepressants than older caregivers, and although slightly less than half of the caregivers had health insurance that covered prescription drugs, insurance did not seem to have an effect on medication use, she said.
Limitations of the study included using a self-reported mail-in questionnaire and that it did not examine other types of depression treatment.