The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Caregiver Burden and Depression: Sociological Variations on a Gerontological Theme

Abstract

This article uses a psychosocial resources model to examine the distress process for a sample of 110 primary caregivers of geriatric outpatients. Two versions of the psychosocial resources model are tested—the mediation/deterioration and buffering model. For both models, we assess the role of social support and internal locus of control (mastery) in reducing the negative impact that life stressors have on caregiver burden and depressive symptomatology. Fifty-one percent of the sample are at the threshold for possible depression, indicative of the challenging circumstances of caregiving. One important finding is that caregiver burden and depression have significantly different correlates. Specifically, burden is primarily a function of chronic stressors (ADL) while depression is basically the result of acute stressors (caregiver life events). In addition, this psychosocial resources approach finds no support for the buffering model of caregiver depression.