Neuropsychiatric symptoms of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease and the family caregivers' distress

Authors

  • Luana Baldin Storti Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto
  • Débora Teles Quintino Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto
  • Natália Michelato Silva Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto
  • Luciana Kusumota Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto
  • Sueli Marques Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.0580.2751

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the relationship between the distress of the family caregiver and the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease or mixed dementia. Method: a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in the Geriatric and Dementias Clinic of a general tertiary hospital, with 96 elderly people with Alzheimer's disease or mixed dementia and their family caregivers. Questionnaires to characterize the elderly and caregivers, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were used. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test were performed. Results: 68.7% of the elderly were women, average age 80.8 years, 56.2% had Alzheimer's disease and 43.7%, mixed dementia. Among caregivers, 90.6% were women, average age 56, 70.8% took care of parents and 64.6% lived with the elderly. There was a strong (r = 0.82) and significant (p <0.01) correlation between the total score on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and the total score on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Distress and strong (r = 0.80) and significant (p <0 01) correlation between the total score on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Distress and the number of neuropsychiatric symptoms, i.e., the higher the number, frequency and severity of these symptoms in the elderly, the more intense is the caregiver distress. Conclusion: the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in the elderly was related to increased distress in caregivers.

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Published

2016-01-01

Issue

Vol. 24 (2016)

Section

Original Articles

License

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Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
 Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.

 

How to Cite

Neuropsychiatric symptoms of the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease and the family caregivers’ distress . (2016). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 24, e2751-. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.0580.2751