Depression and anxiety in parent versus spouse caregivers of adult patients with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

A systematic review of studies which evaluated depression and anxiety in parent versus spouse caregivers of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) was conducted. Demographic variables of the TBI patients and caregivers, study design, measurement tools used, and outcomes reported were collected. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated for methodological quality. While the majority of studies revealed no significant differences between caregiver types on measures of depression and/or anxiety, there was a great deal of variation in methodology and quality between the studies. Overall, high levels of caregiver distress were exposed, regardless of caregiver type (parent versus spouse). There is a need for qualitative and quantitative research designs in order to elucidate the factors that put caregivers at risk for depression and anxiety.