Personality traits and depressive symptoms in informal caregivers in Canada: a longitudinal study of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data

Abstract

In 2018, approximately one out of four Canadians, aged 15 and older, provided informal care to a family member or a friend. Caregivers are at an increased risk for depression and depressive symptoms because of the psychological, emotional, social and financial problems that they might endure due to their caregiving roles. Demographic factors such as age, sex, race, education, income, marital status and retirement status have been associated with depressive symptoms in the literature. As has physical health, and a number of caregiving characteristics such as the relationship with the care recipient, the intensity of caregiving including the hours of caregiving per week, the duration of caregiving, the relationship with the care recipient and the type of caregiving task. There is a large body of literature that links Neuroticism and Extraversion to depressive symptoms. However, to date the link between the personality traits and depressive symptoms in the caregiver population remains unclear.