Faculty Collaboration Database

Psychiatric complications of dementia: impact on caregivers. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 1998;9(1):50-5

Date

02/20/1998

Pubmed ID

9469266

DOI

10.1159/000017022

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031961767 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   59 Citations

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the relationship between psychiatric features of dementia and their impact on caregivers. 35 patient-caregiver pairs were evaluated at two university-affiliated dementia clinics, using standard instruments to rate patient psychiatric features and caregiver burden and depression. There were highly significant correlations between patient agitation and both caregiver burden (r = 0.59, p = 0.0002) and depression (r = 61, p = 0.0001). These associations remained significant after adjusting for multiple demographic and dementia variables. There was no significant association between patient delusions, hallucinations, or depression and caregiver burden or depression. Agitation, particularly physical aggression, may impact caregivers even more than does the cognitive status of the demented patient.

Author List

Victoroff J, Mack WJ, Nielson KA

Author

Kristy Nielson PhD Professor in the Psychology department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Caregivers
Dementia
Depression
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Stress, Psychological