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Race, Social Context, and Caregiving Intensity: Impact on Depressive Symptoms Among Spousal Caregivers

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  • Florence U. Johnson

    (School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Melissa Plegue

    (School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Namratha Boddakayala

    (School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Sheria G. Robinson-Lane

    (School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

Abstract

Understanding the factors that influence the mental health of family caregivers is essential. This study examines the impact of caregiving intensity, operationalized as caregiving hours, on depressive symptoms, with a focus on racial differences and gender effects. We analyzed data from n = 2112 unique spousal caregivers across 6622 person-years of observations from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) longitudinal data (2008–2014). We estimated the impact of caregiving hours on depressive symptoms, controlling for race, gender, and education. Random intercepts accounted for household-level variance. We assessed interaction terms to evaluate differential effects across racial groups. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with caregiving hours β = 1.74, SE = 0.24, suggesting that increasing caregiving hours is likely to lead to emotional distress. We observed a significant negative interaction effect among African American caregivers ( β = −1.25, p = 0.013), indicating that increased caregiving hours led to a reduction in depressive symptoms. Gender was not significantly associated with caregiving hours ( β = −0.36, p = 0.715). The random effects model demonstrated substantial household-level variation (var(_cons) = 266.07, p < 0.0001). Findings highlight racial differences in the effects of caregiving hours on depressive symptoms and point to the importance of culturally responsive interventions designed to mitigate depressive symptoms among caregivers. Future research should explore protective factors that mitigate psychological distress and promote resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Florence U. Johnson & Melissa Plegue & Namratha Boddakayala & Sheria G. Robinson-Lane, 2025. "Race, Social Context, and Caregiving Intensity: Impact on Depressive Symptoms Among Spousal Caregivers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(9), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:9:p:1379-:d:1741330
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bria Willert & Krista Lynn Minnotte, 2021. "Informal Caregiving and Strains: Exploring the Impacts of Gender, Race, and Income," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 943-964, June.
    2. Christine Unson & Anuli Njoku & Stanley Bernard & Martin Agbalenyo, 2023. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Chronic Stress among Male Caregivers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Carolina Blom & Ana Reis & Leonor Lencastre, 2023. "Caregiver Quality of Life: Satisfaction and Burnout," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Ingo W K Kolodziej & Norma B Coe & Courtney H Van Houtven, 2022. "The Impact of Care Intensity and Work on the Mental Health of Family Caregivers: Losses and Gains [Instrumental variables and the search for identification: From supply and demand to natural experi," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(Supplemen), pages 98-111.
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