Deli Despοina, Tsouvelas George, Roukas Dimitrios, Mentis Manolis
Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece.
Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Psychiatriki. 2025 Apr 7;36(1):72-80. doi: 10.22365/jpsych.2024.023. Epub 2024 Dec 15.
The current number of dementia cases in Europe stands at 7.7 million, a figure projected to double by 2050. Caregivers of individuals with dementia experience a heightened burden compared to those caring for other chronically ill individuals, increasing the risk of depression and stress disorders. This systematic literature review, following PRISMA guidelines, explores the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in dementia caregivers. Searches in academic databases, restricted to studies from the last 15 years, identified 85 articles with 16 meeting the inclusion criteria. Results indicate significant caregiver burden, diminished self-reported quality of life, and a propensity for clinical depression. Depression and anxiety symptoms were more pronounced among female caregivers. Caregiver depression correlated with increased emergency department utilization by dementia patients, with a surge in depressive symptoms reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caregiving for dementia patients was associated with burnout, adversely impacting caregiver quality of life. Depression and anxiety symptoms in caregivers correlated with substance use. Sociodemographic variables, including low socioeconomic status, high urbanization levels, and older age, were associated with caregiver depression. Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease reported higher anxiety, burden, and depression scores compared to those assisting individuals with other dementias, particularly when neuropsychiatric symptoms were evident. The identification of the factors that are linked to the mental burden of caregivers allows mental health professionals to enhance symptom detection and provide tailored support, ultimately alleviating caregiver burden and improving dementia care quality. Systematic professional assistance and training opportunities through health policies can effectively alleviate caregiver burden.
欧洲目前的痴呆症病例数为770万，预计到2050年这一数字将翻倍。与照顾其他慢性病患者的人相比，痴呆症患者的照顾者负担更重，患抑郁症和应激障碍的风险增加。这项遵循PRISMA指南的系统文献综述探讨了痴呆症照顾者中焦虑和抑郁症状的患病率。在学术数据库中进行检索，仅限于过去15年的研究，共识别出85篇文章，其中16篇符合纳入标准。结果表明照顾者负担显著、自我报告的生活质量下降以及有临床抑郁症倾向。女性照顾者的抑郁和焦虑症状更为明显。照顾者的抑郁与痴呆症患者急诊就诊率增加相关，在新冠疫情期间报告的抑郁症状激增。照顾痴呆症患者与倦怠有关，对照顾者的生活质量产生不利影响。照顾者的抑郁和焦虑症状与物质使用相关。社会人口统计学变量，包括低社会经济地位、高城市化水平和高龄，与照顾者的抑郁有关。与照顾患有其他痴呆症的人相比，照顾阿尔茨海默病患者的照顾者报告的焦虑、负担和抑郁得分更高，尤其是在神经精神症状明显时。识别与照顾者心理负担相关的因素，使心理健康专业人员能够加强症状检测并提供量身定制的支持，最终减轻照顾者负担并提高痴呆症护理质量。通过卫生政策提供系统的专业援助和培训机会可以有效减轻照顾者负担。
