Stress, social support and depression in informal caregivers to people with HIV/AIDS in Lome, Togo

Purpose - This study examined factors associated with depression in 125 informal caregivers to adults living with HIV/AIDS in Lome, Togo. Methodology - Each caregiver completed a questionnaire that assessed primary and secondary stressors, social support and depression. Most of the participants were women (78 per cent), married (53 per cent), and had been giving care to nuclear family members (63 per cent) for about 11 months. OLS regression was used to examine the association of primary and secondary stressors with self-reported depression. Findings - The analysis showed that caregiving demand, role captivity, and job conflict were positively associated with self-reported depression. This suggests that work-related strains and role strains were associated with depression levels among caregivers in our sample. Research limitations/implications - The study is based on a small convenience sample of volunteers and this may limit the generalisability of the results. Practical implications - This knowledge can benefit HIV/AIDS service providers in counselling caregivers who need to maintain a healthy quality of life and well-being for their difficult and challenging task. Originality/value - This paper contributes to knowledge on caregiving role to people with chronic illnesses by incorporating an understudied population into the knowledge base.