Depression in Rural Hospice Family Caregivers

Authors

  • Kathleen Ladner
  • Norma G Cuellar University of Southern Mississippi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v3i1.245

Abstract

Informal, family caregivers assume an overwhelming responsibility to care for the dying in the home. Although not a long term situation, the outcomes for family hospice caregivers often have negative consequences with minimal mental health resources available in rural settings. Diagnosis and treatment of depression in caregiving has been underdiagnosed. Few studies have identified depression and treatment specifically in hospice family caregivers. The purpose of this study was to determine if informal, hospice, family caregivers in rural settings were depressed and if so, were the caregivers receiving treatment for depression, either by conventional or non-conventional interventions. The descriptive study included 30 hospice family caregivers who reported on symptoms of depression. Forty percent of the hospice caregivers were depressed with only 17% receiving treatment for depression. Future studies should include exploring interventions and outcomes of depression to improve rural health care in caregivers.

Key Words: Rural, Hospice, Caregiver, Depression, Conventional Treatment, Non-conventional treatment

Author Biography

  • Norma G Cuellar, University of Southern Mississippi

    PhD., Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Southern Mississippi

Downloads

Published

2012-09-04

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2003)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share (for non-commerical purposes) the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).