Difficulties and rewards in family care of the depressed older adult.

Spouse and adult child caregivers of older adults with major depressive disorder (N = 150) were asked what was most difficult and most rewarding about providing assistance to their relatives. Content analysis of their responses revealed seven areas of difficulty and three areas of reward. Difficulties and rewards were selectively associated with the caregiver's identity, patient clinical characteristics, and caregiver emotional adjustment. Caregiver perceived family difficulties and emotional difficulties were associated with the course of patient psychiatric illness over 1 year.