Family caregiving to the elderly has become a source of major concern only in the last decade. Due to the abundance of cross-sectional research, caregiving has been portrayed as a static process. This study was a longitudinal investigation of mental health problems among elderly spouse caregivers. The results revealed an important relationship between mental health problems and the changing caregiving situation. The greatest prevalence of mental health problems was among the group of individuals who had only recently placed their spouse in a nursing home. The second greatest number of problems were found in those caregiving in their home. Four case vignettes served to illustrate common changes in caregiver's mental health.
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Lichtenberg et al. (1989) studied this question.