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Abstract
Objectives: The primary objective of this exploratory analysis was to assess the prevalence of caregiving among older (60+) newly diagnosed female breast cancer patients and to examine the risk of depression associated with breast cancer, caregiving, and age, at 3 months and 12 months after diagnosis. Methods: Data from interviews conducted for the case-control study, Health and Functioning in Women with Breast Cancer(HFW), were used for this analysis. Interviews were conducted at 3 months and 12 months post-diagnosis. Participants for this analysis were restricted to those who completed both interviews (cases n = 904; controls n = 966). Risk of depression was assessed using a self-reported depression question from the HFW instrument. Results: The multivariate analysis showed that stage of breast cancer was significantly related to depression among older women with breast cancer while controlling for various socio-demographic factors; however, caregiving did not significantly increase the risk for depression for this population. Discussion: A breast cancer diagnosis for women, regardless of age or caregiving status, presented an increased risk of depression at 3 and 12 months post-diagnosis. These and other findings and their implications for social work practice are discussed.