Do Family Caregivers Help Older Veterans Use Mental Health Services?
Author Information
Author(s): Wyman Mary, Jacobs Josephine, Stalter Lily, Ventakesh Manasa, Voils Corrine W.S., Trivedi Ranak, Gleason Carey, Amy Byers
Primary Institution: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Hypothesis
Does receiving assistance from a family caregiver increase the likelihood of older veterans utilizing mental health services?
Conclusion
Family caregivers significantly increase the odds of older veterans using mental health services, especially when the care recipient has dementia and less severe mental health symptoms.
Supporting Evidence
- Caregiving receipt was associated with two-fold odds of mental health utilization.
- Primary caregiver female gender was positively associated with mental health service use.
Takeaway
Having a family caregiver can help older veterans get the mental health help they need. It's like having a buddy who reminds you to go to the doctor.
Methodology
Mixed effects logistic regression was used to analyze the association between caregiver assistance and mental health service utilization.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the demographic homogeneity of the sample.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on community-dwelling, male, and non-Hispanic white older veterans, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Primarily male (96.5%) and non-Hispanic white (77.0%) older veterans.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.54-2.65
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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