TY - JOUR
T1 - The emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms in dementia on partner caregivers
T2 - Do caregiver, patient, and situation characteristics make a difference?
AU - Meiland, Franka J.M.
AU - Kat, Martin G.
AU - Van Tilburg, Willem
AU - Jonker, Cees
AU - Dröes, Rose Marie
PY - 2005/10/1
Y1 - 2005/10/1
N2 - This study aims to investigate the emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms of patients with dementia on their caregiving partners, and to explore if caregiver, patient, and situation factors predict this emotional impact on caregivers. A cross-sectional design was used. Partners of patients with slight to moderately severe dementia who live in the community (n = 85) were interviewed. In a subgroup (n = 58) potential predictors of emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms on caregivers were studied. Agitation, irritability, apathy, and disinhibition produced the highest mean emotional impact scores in caregivers. Besides the neuropsychiatric symptoms themselves, the emotional impact of these symptoms on caregivers was predicted by sense of competence, degree of care needed by the patient, and financial expenditure due to the caregiving situation. The emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms on caregivers is predicted by several patient, caregiver, and situation factors. Interventions aimed at decreasing the experienced burden of caregivers should therefore not only focus on the psychiatric symptoms of the patient, but also on the sense of competence of the caregiver and the financial burden due to the caregiving situation.
AB - This study aims to investigate the emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms of patients with dementia on their caregiving partners, and to explore if caregiver, patient, and situation factors predict this emotional impact on caregivers. A cross-sectional design was used. Partners of patients with slight to moderately severe dementia who live in the community (n = 85) were interviewed. In a subgroup (n = 58) potential predictors of emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms on caregivers were studied. Agitation, irritability, apathy, and disinhibition produced the highest mean emotional impact scores in caregivers. Besides the neuropsychiatric symptoms themselves, the emotional impact of these symptoms on caregivers was predicted by sense of competence, degree of care needed by the patient, and financial expenditure due to the caregiving situation. The emotional impact of psychiatric symptoms on caregivers is predicted by several patient, caregiver, and situation factors. Interventions aimed at decreasing the experienced burden of caregivers should therefore not only focus on the psychiatric symptoms of the patient, but also on the sense of competence of the caregiver and the financial burden due to the caregiving situation.
KW - Burden
KW - Caregiver
KW - Dementia
KW - Emotional stress
KW - Predictors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33644980495&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.wad.0000189035.25277.02
DO - 10.1097/01.wad.0000189035.25277.02
M3 - Article
C2 - 16327346
AN - SCOPUS:33644980495
VL - 19
SP - 195
EP - 201
JO - Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
JF - Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
SN - 0893-0341
IS - 4
ER -