Objective: To examine the allocation of daily activities over a 24-hour period in caregivers (CGs) with and without a probable affective disorder. Methods: Participants were 192 older dementia CGs (mean age = 72.9 years, 70% female) who participated in the National Study of Caregiving. Time diary data were used to measure the duration and timing that caregivers were doing hygienic self-care, eating/drinking, household care, physical caregiving, medical caregiving, socializing, and television viewing. Affective status was assessed using the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder screeners. Results: CGs were more likely to screen positive for depression/anxiety symptoms if they started hygienic self-care later (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.10-2.83) and started medical caregiving later (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.24-4.41). Hygienic self-care start times attenuated the effects of medical caregiving on the affective status. Discussion: Later timing of hygienic self-care may be an important behavioral response that contributes to affective disorder risk in dementia CGs.
Keywords: aging; daily diary; family caregivers; time use.