The objective of the study was to understand how family caregivers experience the depression of older people in their care, within their cultural context. This is a qualitative study of ethnographic trajectory, performed using Spradley as the framework. The cultural universe consisted of relatives who performed the role of caregivers, who provided informed consent. Caregivers perceived the disease as a deep limitation on their way of living, involving loneliness, sadness and pity. The feelings of the depressed patients extend to the caregiver, who also faces the risk of suffering from depression. The responsibilities of caring also generate feelings of guilt that produce more suffering. Relatives recognize the onset of the disease, their attributes, the forms of treatment, and the social stigma assoicated with this mental disease and that they have a fundamental role in providing support and care in the recovery process.