The Role of Gender and Marital Status in the Relationship between Caregiving for Older Parents with Alzheimer’s Disease and Depressive Symptoms among Baby Boomer Adult Child Caregivers: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract The present study applied a multilevel approach to assess the effects of caregiving for older parents with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on a level of depressive symptoms among adult child caregivers in the Baby Boomer generation. Along with the main effect, this study focused on the interaction effects between AD caregiving, gender and marital status. The present study’s findings revealed that AD caregiving experience is associated with worsening depressive symptoms. However, there are differences between individuals in changes in depressive symptoms. Additionally, the results of the interaction effect showed that in the case of unmarried female caregivers, the level of depressive symptoms associated with AD caregiving worsens faster than their counterparts. These results highlight the need for social policies that address the mental health needs of adult child caregivers who are vulnerable to AD caregiving experience.