Analysis reveals informal care stability reduces depressive symptoms in older adults, suggesting care quality impacts mental health.
Key Points
Receiving stable informal care is associated with significantly fewer depressive symptoms among older adults, underscoring its importance for mental health.
Stable informal care weakens the negative association between instrumental activities of daily living limitations and depressive symptoms, but not for activities of daily living.
This study utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study over an 8-year period, employing mixed-effect models to predict depressive symptoms.
These findings highlight the significance of informal care stability, especially for older adults receiving care from close family members, indicating necessary policy implications.