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Hidden Benefits of Caregiving: A New Experiment
20.12.2023 07:40
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:21
Caring for an aging person can be challenging, but a recent experiment questions the assumption that family caregiving inevitably leads to depression.
The study suggests that depression in adult caregivers is primarily linked to the serious health problems of their loved ones, and becoming a caregiver is associated with fewer depressive symptoms.
The author emphasized that caregiving has both positive and negative aspects, challenging the prevailing belief that the negatives outweigh the positives.
It's Not like We Used To Think It Is
Contrary to common assumptions, recent research indicates that caregivers often live longer than non-caregivers and describe the experience as positive and meaningful.
Han's study followed adult children over 50 caring for their mothers, finding that depression increased as mothers' health declined but revealed no evidence that becoming a caregiver intensified their depression.
Instead, caregiving seemed to alleviate the impact of mothers' health issues on the children's mental health, suggesting a protective aspect to caring for loved ones.
It's Important To Know
Given that a significant portion of the population becomes caregivers, the study emphasizes the need for support while challenging the perception that caregiving is inevitably distressing.
Recently, we talked about hormonal background and mental health.
