Background: Depression affecting caregivers is a risk factor for discontinuing at-home care. Objective: The present cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate factors related to depression of family caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to evaluate factors related to depression among family aregivers for the frail elderly with periodic nurse service in 2008, in 7 home-visiting nursing service stations in Sapporo, Japan. Caregivers were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire about various factors that might affect their depression, and also to complete a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Evaluation (CES-D). We analyzed 71 pairs in total. Results: Factors related to poor health (OR=3.40, 95%CI: 1.13, 10.18) and a longer time spent physically caregiving (OR=3.08, 95%CI: 1.02, 9.35) were associated with being depressed. On the other hand, factors related to a good or fair economic position (OR=0.30, 95%CI: 0.10, 0.91), having a sister or brother who could help from the outside (OR=0.21, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.91), being able to relieve irritation caused by caregiving (OR=0.10, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.36), using the care service at home well (OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.98), and being able to pay more than 10,000 Japanese Yen by themselves as part of the total care service costs (OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.57) were associated with not being depressed. Conclusion: Caregivers should be supported not only informally but also by a new government funded system
