Caring for Mom and Neglecting Yourself?

This paper by Norma B. Coe and Courtney Harold Van Houtven from the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center examines the physical and mental health effects of providing care to an elderly mother on the adult child caregiver. 

The study found that:

• continued caregiving over time increases depressive symptoms for married
  women and married men and the increase in depressive symptoms is persistent
  for married men. 
• depressive symptoms for single men and women are not affected by
  continued caregiving. 
• there is a small protective effect on the likelihood (10%) of having any heart conditions among married women who continue caregiving.
  the initial onset of caregiving has no immediate effects on physical or mental health for any subgroup of
  caregivers.

http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=81074