Rural-urban differences in the effects on mental well-being of caring for people with stroke or dementia

Background: Rural and urban differences in the effects of care-giving are not well documented. This paper reports data on 122 carers for people with stroke or dementia living in rural and urban settings in Wales. Method: Carers completed a postal questionnaire, including the SF-12v2 Health Survey. Definitions of rural and urban were based on the Urban/Rural Indicator from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) All Fields Postcode Directory 2004. Results: Carers' mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) score (adjusted for age and sex) was one standard deviation below the population mean (-12.03). Male carers living in urban areas reported better mental health than male carers in rural areas (p<0.05) and female carers in both settings (p<0.05). A full model and a parsimonious model were developed, using MCS scores as outcome variables. In the full model sitting service provision in rural and urban locations was linked to better carer mental health, while support from friends and family was linked to better mental health for urban carers only. Conclusion: Our findings indicate the existence of both gender and location differences in carer experiences.