Abstract

MONIZ, Edna  and  AFONSO, Rosa Marina. Depression and anxiety in sandwich generation caregivers. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.3, pp.1079-1090.  Epub Dec 31, 2021. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/21psd220325.

Among informal caregivers some are included in the Sandwich Generation (SG) and that simultaneously provide care to people with some level of dependence from different age groups: elderly people and children, generally parents and children. Still lacking relevant research in Portugal, this is a specific kind of informal caretaker who is often under pressure from high demands, which generally leads to a diminishing of their own self-care. This study aims to evaluate and compare depression and anxiety levels between caregivers who are and aren’t included in the SG. 178 caregivers participated in this study, 98 of which are included in the SG and 80 who aren’t. A sociodemographic questionnaire and a Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18) were the tools used in the study. The results show that depression and anxiety levels are higher among the caregivers included in the SG when compared to those who are not. Within the SG, statistically significant differences were found concerning depression, depending on gender, marital status, physical exercise, socioeconomic status, and dependence level of the elderly cared for. Concerning anxiety, the differences were mainly related to the number of children cared for by the caregivers. This study suggests not only the need for more information on the SG caregivers, but also the need to develop support setups adapted to the specificities of the SG caregivers, so that they can achieve a greater feeling of well-being and personal fulfilment while performing their role as caregivers for older and younger people.

Keywords : Sandwich generation; Informal caregivers; depression; anxiety.

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