School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung,Taiwan.
Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung,Taiwan.
Aging Ment Health. 2022 Feb;26(2):263-269. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2020.1857693. Epub 2020 Dec 24.
To determine the association between caregiver characteristics and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with dementia (PWD) in a Taiwanese community-dwelling population.
This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data of 190 patients with Alzheimer's disease/dementia and 190 informal matched caregivers in Taiwan. BPSD were examined using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q). Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore associations between caregiver characteristics and the presence, severity, and distress of NPI-Q items.
Only spouse primary caregiver was positively associated with presence of delusions in PWD. Caregiver education was positively correlated to severity of hallucinations, agitation/aggression, and apathy/indifference in PWD, while child primary caregiver was positively related to severity of disinhibition in PWD but negatively related to severity of anxiety in PWD. Spouse primary caregiver was positively related to severity of anxiety and appetite/eating in PWD while sole primary caregiver was positively related to severity of anxiety and nighttime behaviors in PWD. Caregiver education was positively correlated to distress of agitation/aggression in caregivers while child primary caregiver was positively related to distress of disinhibition in caregivers. Spouse primary caregiver was positively related to distress of anxiety and appetite/eating in caregivers while spouse caregiver was positively related to distress of nighttime behaviors in caregivers.
Caregiver education, child and spouse primary caregiver were relevant to severity of PWD and distress of caregivers of BPSD. It is suggested that healthcare professionals provide caregivers with proper individualized interventions based on these results to enhance caring quality.Key pointsCaregiver education was positively correlated to severity of hallucinations, agitation/aggression, and apathy/indifference, and distress of agitation/aggression.Child primary caregiver was positively related to severity and distress of disinhibition but negatively related to severity of anxiety.Spouse primary caregiver was positively related to severity and distress of anxiety and appetite/eating, and distress of nighttime behaviors.
在台湾的社区居住的人群中，确定照顾者特征与痴呆患者（PWD）的行为和心理症状（BPSD）之间的关系。
本横断面研究使用了台湾 190 名阿尔茨海默病/痴呆患者和 190 名非正规匹配的照顾者的数据。使用神经精神问卷-问卷（NPI-Q）检查 BPSD。使用相关和回归分析来探索照顾者特征与 NPI-Q 项目的存在、严重程度和困扰之间的关系。
只有配偶主要照顾者与 PWD 的妄想存在呈正相关。照顾者的教育程度与 PWD 的幻觉、激越/攻击和淡漠/冷漠的严重程度呈正相关，而儿童主要照顾者与 PWD 的去抑制严重程度呈正相关，但与 PWD 的焦虑严重程度呈负相关。配偶主要照顾者与 PWD 的焦虑和食欲/进食严重程度呈正相关，而唯一的主要照顾者与 PWD 的焦虑和夜间行为严重程度呈正相关。照顾者的教育程度与照顾者激越/攻击的困扰呈正相关，而儿童主要照顾者与照顾者去抑制的困扰呈正相关。配偶主要照顾者与照顾者的焦虑和食欲/进食困扰呈正相关，而配偶照顾者与照顾者的夜间行为困扰呈正相关。
照顾者的教育程度、儿童和配偶主要照顾者与 PWD 的严重程度和照顾者的 BPSD 困扰有关。建议医疗保健专业人员根据这些结果为照顾者提供适当的个性化干预措施，以提高照顾质量。
照顾者的教育程度与幻觉、激越/攻击和淡漠/冷漠的严重程度和困扰呈正相关。
儿童主要照顾者与去抑制的严重程度和困扰呈正相关，但与焦虑的严重程度呈负相关。
配偶主要照顾者与焦虑和食欲/进食的严重程度和困扰以及夜间行为的困扰呈正相关。
