Carers of people with dementia benefit from online help for anxiety and depression

2021 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 619-619
Author(s):  
Yeji Hwang ◽  
Nancy Hodgson

Abstract Anxiety and depression are one of the most distressing symptoms for the family caregivers. Little is known about the relationship between sleep impairments and anxiety/depression in this population and how objective and subjective sleep measures differ in relation to anxiety. This study was designed to examine the relationship between sleep impairments and anxiety/depression in people with dementia, using both subjective and objective sleep measures. Among the 170 study participants, 50% (n=85) reported to have anxiety/depression. In univariate logistic regression analyses on anxiety/depression, adjusting for dementia stage, people with more subjective sleep impairment had higher odds of having anxiety/depression (OR=1.111; 95% CI: 1.020-1.211, p=0.016) and people with poorer subjective sleep quality had higher odds of having anxiety/depression (OR=1.702; 95% CI: 1.046-2.769, p=0.032). Objective sleep measures from actigraphy did not show any significant relationships to anxiety/depression. The results suggest that subjective sleep measures are closely related to anxiety/depression in this population.


2010 ◽  
Vol 196 (6) ◽  
pp. 480-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Cooper ◽  
Martin Blanchard ◽  
Amber Selwood ◽  
Zuzana Walker ◽  
Gill Livingston

BackgroundA third of family carers of people with dementia report abusive behaviour towards the person for whom they are caring. This is the first longitudinal study to investigate such behaviour.AimsTo test our hypotheses that carers' reports of abusive behaviour would increase over time, and that change in abuse scores would be predicted by change in anxiety and depression scores.MethodIn total, 131 (71.6%) of the family/friend dementia carers consecutively recruited from new referrals to Essex and London community mental health teams who were interviewed at baseline, completed the revised Modified Conflict Tactics Scale to measure abuse 1 year later.ResultsSixty-three (48.1%) of the carers reported any abusive behaviour at baseline compared with 81 (61.8%) a year later (χ2 = 6.9, P = 0.009). An increase in abuse scores was predicted by an increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms (respectively ß = 0.32, t = 3.9, P<0.001 and ß = 0.24, t = 2.9, P = 0.005), and by less domiciliary care at baseline (ß = –0.18, t =–2.2, P = 0.031).ConclusionsMost abusive behaviour reported by carers at baseline persisted or worsened in the following year, despite contact with specialist services. We suggest that trials of psychological interventions shown to reduce anxiety and depression in the carers of people with dementia are needed to determine whether they also reduce elder abuse, and can be delivered cost-effectively within the National Health Service (NHS).


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Stott ◽  
Tim Cadman ◽  
Henry Potts ◽  
Katrina Scior ◽  
Janina Brede ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjective:There is emerging evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective for treating anxiety and depression in people living with dementia (PLWD). Discriminating between thoughts and feelings is a critical element of CBT and also of relevance to emotional understanding more generally. The aim of the present study was the structured adaptation and preliminary validation of an existing measure of thought–feeling discrimination for use in PLWD.Methods/Design:The Behavior Thought Feeling Questionnaire (BTFQ) was adapted via expert and service-user consultation for use in PLWD. One hundred two PLWD and 77 people aged over 65 years who did not have measurable cognitive impairments completed the adapted measure along with two measures of emotional recognition and reasoning. The factor structure of this measure was examined and the measure reduced.Results:Factor analysis suggested a two-factor solution with thought and feeling items loading on separate factors. The behavior items were not included in scoring due to high cross-loading and ceiling effects, leaving a 14-item measure with two subscales. Thus, an adapted measure was created (named the BTFQ-D), which showed moderate convergent validity in the PLWD but not the older adult sample. Both thought and feeling subscales showed good internal consistency.Conclusions:The BTFQ-D showed preliminary validity as a measure of thought–feeling discrimination in PLWD. It may have utility in measuring readiness for CBT as part of clinical assessment. Further validation is required.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseba Wulff ◽  
Agneta Malmgren Fänge ◽  
Connie Lethin ◽  
Carlos Chiatti

Abstract Background Around 50 million people worldwide are diagnosed with dementia and this number is due to triple by 2050. The majority of persons with dementia receive care and support from their family, friends or neighbours, who are generally known as informal caregivers. These might experience symptoms of depression and anxiety as a consequence of caregiving activities. Due to the different welfare system across European countries, this study aimed to investigate factors associated with self-reported depression and anxiety among informal dementia caregivers both in Sweden and Italy, to ultimately improve their health and well-being. Methods This comparative cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Italian UP-TECH (n = 317) and the Swedish TECH@HOME (n = 89) studies. Main outcome variables were the severity of self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms, as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). HADS scores were investigated using descriptive and bivariate statistics to compare means and standard deviations. Linear regressions were used to test for associations between potential factors and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results Italian informal caregivers reported more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety than Swedish caregivers. In Italy, a higher number of hours of caregiving was associated with anxiety symptoms (β = − 1.205; p = 0.029), being 40–54 years-old with depression symptoms (β = − 1.739; p = 0.003), and being female with symptoms of both depression (β = − 1.793; p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = 1.474; p = 0.005). In Sweden, a higher number of hours of caregiving and being < 39 years-old were associated with depression symptoms (β = 0.286; p < 0.000; β = 3.945; p = 0.014) and a higher number of hours of caregiving, the lack of additional informal caregivers and dementia severity were associated with anxiety symptoms (β = 0.164; p = 0.010; β = − 1.133; p = 0.033; β = − 1.181; p = 0.031). Conclusion Multiple factors are associated with self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety among informal caregivers in Sweden and Italy. Factors found in this study partly differ between the two countries, suggesting the important role of cultural and social factors affecting the experience of caregiving. A deeper knowledge of these factors may increase the knowledge on potential protective and risk factors, provide information to policymakers and ultimately improve the psychological well-being of informal caregivers to people with dementia across Europe.


2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Orgeta ◽  
Afifa Qazi ◽  
Aimee Spector ◽  
Martin Orrell

BackgroundAnxiety and depression are common in people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of both pharmacological and psychological therapies.AimsTo evaluate the evidence of effectiveness of psychological treatments in treating depression and anxiety in people with dementia and MCI.MethodWe carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological treatment versus usual care in people with dementia and MCI. Primary outcomes were symptoms of anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, ability to perform daily activities, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition and caregivers' self-rated depressive symptoms.ResultsWe included six RCTs, involving 439 participants with dementia, which used cognitive–behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, counselling or multimodal interventions including a specific psychological therapy. We found beneficial effects for both depression and anxiety. Overall, the quality of the evidence was moderate for depression and low for anxiety, due to the methodological limitations of the studies we identified and the limited number of trials.ConclusionsThe evidence from six RCTs suggests that psychological treatments are effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety for people with dementia. There is a need for high-quality, multicentre trials including standardised, well-defined interventions.Declarations of interestA.Q., A.S. and M.O. are investigators in one of the included studies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 194 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
George M. Savva ◽  
Julia Zaccai ◽  
Fiona E. Matthews ◽  
Julie E. Davidson ◽  
Ian McKeith ◽  
...  

BackgroundBehavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are major contributors to the burden of dementia.AimsTo describe the prevalence, correlates and course of BPSD in the population of England and Wales.MethodThe prevalence of 12 symptoms was estimated in 587 participants with dementia and 2050 participants without dementia as part of a population-based longitudinal study of ageing. The effect of risk factors and the factor structure were estimated using 1782 interviews provided by participants with dementia throughout the study.ResultsEach symptom apart from sleeping problems was more common in the population with dementia. The co-occurrence of the symptoms was explained by a four-factor solution, corresponding to psychosis/apathy, depression/anxiety, irritability/persecution and wandering/sleep problems. Psychosis occurred more frequently with declining cognition. Anxiety and depression were more common in younger individuals and in those with poor self-reported health. Persistence varied between symptoms.ConclusionsBehavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia affect nearly all people with dementia. Symptoms co-occur, and the symptoms that affected individuals experience are related to their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.


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