Depression or grief? The experience of caregivers of people with dementia.

The exploratory study discussed in this article attempted to shed some light on the nature of the depression and grief experienced by caregivers of people with dementia. The findings suggest that the depression so frequently described in the literature may not be as severe or clinically significant as previously thought and that it may be more precisely described as anticipatory grief. Viewing caregivers apparent depression as being the result of grief over the losses they are experiencing may assist practitioners in planning and evaluating the effectiveness of clinical interventions specifically designed for this growing group of clients.