Livingston G, Manela M, Katona C
Department of Psychiatry, University College London Medical School.
BMJ. 1996 Jan 20;312(7024):153-6. doi: 10.1136/bmj.312.7024.153.
To describe the mental health of a community sample of carers of elderly people with dementia, depression, or physical disability and to compare that with the mental health of other adults living in the household and of those living alone.
Assessment of psychiatric morbidity and physical disability with standardised questionnaire in randomly selected enumeration districts; subjects were interviewed at home.
London Borough of Islington.
700 people aged > or = 65 and other coresidents.
Depression measured with standardised interview.
The prevalence of depression was not significantly higher in carers overall (15%) than in coresidents (11%). Being a woman carer was a significant predictor of psychiatric illness. Depression was more common in the carers of people with a psychiatric disorder than in coresidents (24% v 11%, P < 0.05) and in those living alone (19%). Depression was most common (47%) in women carers of people with dementia.
The increase in psychiatric morbidity reported in carers of people with psychiatric disorders may reflect the lack of a confiding relationship.
描述患有痴呆、抑郁症或身体残疾的老年人的社区照护者样本的心理健康状况，并将其与同住一户的其他成年人以及独居者的心理健康状况进行比较。
在随机选择的普查区使用标准化问卷评估精神疾病发病率和身体残疾情况；对受试者进行家访。
伦敦伊斯灵顿区。
700名年龄≥65岁的人和其他同住者。
通过标准化访谈测量抑郁情况。
总体而言，照护者中抑郁症的患病率（15%）并不显著高于同住者（11%）。女性照护者是精神疾病的一个显著预测因素。患有精神疾病者的照护者中抑郁症比同住者（24%对11%，P<0.05）和独居者（19%）更常见。痴呆患者的女性照护者中抑郁症最为常见（47%）。
患有精神疾病者的照护者中报告的精神疾病发病率增加可能反映了缺乏可倾诉的关系。
