The survey aims to evaluate psychiatric morbidity in the carers of dementia sufferers using a semi-structured psychiatric interview.

The case notes of consecutive referrals to four psychiatric services for the elderly in the West Midlands and a memory clinic service in Bristol were reviewed.

All referrals who fulfilled the CAMDEX criteria for mild or moderate dementia and had a carer in contact at least once a week were contacted.

Participants were assessed using a detailed package which included a Geriatric Mental State Schedule for the carers.

More than 90% of those contacted agreed to participate.

Altogether 125 patients with dementia were assessed of whom 109 had family members or friends as the main carer.

Thirty-one (28.4%) of the carers had a case level of depression and three (2.75%) had a case level of anxiety.

In addition, 36 (33.2%) carers had subcase levels of morbidity.

First-degree relatives showed a trend to be more likely to suffer from depression than friends or more distant relatives.

The prevalence of depression was similar among carers in the two different service settings.

There was good agreement between AGECAT and RDC diagnosis of depression.