A comparison of primary stressors, secondary stressors, and depressive symptoms between elderly caregiving husbands and wives: The caregiver health effects study

The present study examined gender differences in the experience of primary and secondary caregiving stressors, depressive symptoms, and their interrel ationships using a sample of 283 elderly spouse caregivers (145 women, 138 men). Two primary stressors, two secondary stressors, and depressive sympto ms were assessed. In general, t-tests indicated that caregiving husbands ex perience fewer stressors and depressive symptoms than their female counterp arts. Multiple group analysis revealed that the primary stressors were more useful in explaining Variance associated with the secondary stressors for women than men and that the path coefficients linking amount of caregiving assistance to caregivers' activity restriction was significantly different across men and women. Other paths linking primary stressors, secondary stre ssors, and depressive symptoms, however, were statistically equivalent acro ss men and women. Hence, although caregiving women and men may vary in thei r reports of caregiving stressors, the complexity of the caregiving experie nce appears to be quite uniform for both groups.