Grief Reactions and Depression in Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease: Results from a Pilot Study in an Urban Setting (I‪)‬

Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease are at an increased risk of mental and physical problems as a result of the strain that accompanies this role (Haley, Levine, Brown, Berry, & Hughes, 1987; Lorensini & Bates, 1997). Although literature has focused on the stress, sense of burden, and depression that caregivers experience, little reference has been made to the feelings of grief and loss reported by caregivers. Due to the multidimensionality of grief, with its physical, emotional, and psychological expression (Fitzpatrick, 1998), clinical symptoms of grief are often misinterpreted as symptoms of depression (Walker & Pomeroy, 1996). With the development of a grief scale specifically designed for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (Marwit & Meuser, 2002), clinical professionals in the field of gerontology are better able to identify feelings of grief and loss and subsequently provide appropriate treatment. This article examines the prevalence of clinical symptoms of grief in a sample of caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and compares symptoms of grief with those of depression. GRIEF AND LOSS