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Abstract #149630

Jessica E. Graber, PhD, Health Care Delivery and Health Outcomes, NORC at the University of Chicago, 55 East Monroe St., Suite 1840, Chicago, IL 60603, 312-759-4060, graber-jessica@norc.org and Sara A. Leitsch, PhD, Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago, 1155 East 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.

The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) is an innovative, longitudinal study of older adults that examines the interaction between aging, social relationships, and health outcomes. During the first wave of data collection we conducted 3,005 detailed, in-person interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 57 to 85, achieving a final response rate of 75.5 percent. One hundred eighty-two of these respondents reported living in a household with at least one child under the age of 18.

The prevalence of psychological distress among older adult caregivers is well documented, with depressive symptoms frequently self-reported (Nicholson et al. 2002; Minkler et al. 1997). NSHAP measured depressive symptomology with a shortened version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (Radloff 1977). In this paper we examine the impact of co-residing children on the prevalence of depression in older adults, and if such impact is mitigated by demographic characteristics or level of social support. We categorize respondents as living in one of four household types: single person households; households with one or more children under age eighteen; households where the respondent acts as a caregiver to another adult; and households with multiple adults with no caregiving responsibilities, and specify the frequency of each. We then determine the incidence of self-reported depression and examine possible explanatory covariates.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify variation in mental health status and self-reported depression across respondents living in a range of household structures.

Keywords: Caregivers, Depression

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.