Negative and positive health effects of caring for a disabled spouse: Longitudinal findings from the Caregiver Health Effects Study

Abstract

Data from the first 2 waves of the Caregiver Health Effects Study (n = 680) were analyzed to examine the effects of changes in caregiving involvement on changes in caregiver health-related outcomes in a population-based sample of elders caring for a disabled spouse. Caregiving involvement was indexed by levels of (a) spouse physical impairment, (b) help provided to the spouse, and (c) strain associated with providing help. Health-related outcomes included perceived health, heaith-risk behaviors, anxiety symp-toms, and depression symptoms. Increases in spouse impairment and caregiver strain were generally related to poorer outcomes over time (poorer perceived health, increased health-risk behaviors, and increased anxiety and depression), whereas increased helping was related to better outcomes (decreased anxiety and depression). Results uggest that caring for a disabled spouse is a complex phenomenon that can have both deleterious and beneficial consequences. Research exploring the effects of caring for an elderly disabled family member has proliferated over the past decade, and a great deal has been learned about the process of caregiving and its effects on informal care providers in community settings (se