Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of the mental health of carers according to the stage of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer-type dementia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, the aims were to assess the mental health state of carers for patients with Alzheimer-type dementia (AD) according to stage of disease and to collect data with the aim of determining precautions to reduce the load of the patient and disease on the carer. The study included 120 patients with stages determined, according to the clinical dementia rating scale (CDR), and 120 patient relatives above the age of 18 who cared for these patients every day, for the whole day or part of the day, and who accepted participation in the research. This prospective and cross-sectional study performed a detailed neurological examination of patients, and after completing the “personal information form” with the interviewer, each patient had CDR and mini-mental test (MMSE) applied to determine stage of dementia and physical state. Carers first completed the “personal information form” and then had the short symptom inventory (SSI) applied. According to the stage of patients, there were significant differences determined in the points for all sub-scales belonging to the SSI of carers. As the disease stage increased, all sub-scale points for the SSI increased. With the transition of disease stages from 0.5–1 to stage 2, from stage 2 to 3, and with the inverse reduction in MMT scores, the points obtained by carers on the SSI sub-scales increased. This data shows that with progressing disease stage, the load on the carer increases and mental health begins to dysfunction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Atagün MI, Balaban ÖD, Atagün Z, Elagöz M, Özpolat AY (2011) Caregiver burden in chronic diseases. Curr Approach Pscyhiatry 3(3):513–552

    Google Scholar 

  2. Yüksel G, Varlıbaş F, Karkıkaya G, Şıpka Y, Tireli H (2007) Caregiver burden in Parkinson’s disease. J Park Dis 10:26–34

    Google Scholar 

  3. Şahin EM, Yalçın BM (2003) Comparing the incidences of depression at the elderly living in nursing home or at their own homes. Turk J Geriatr 6(1):10–13

    Google Scholar 

  4. Small GW, Gunay I (2005) Geriatric Medicine. In: Rundel JR, Wise MG (eds) Textbook of consultation-liaison psychiatry: psychiatry in medically ill, 2nd edn. Washington, American Psychiatric Press, pp 878–899

    Google Scholar 

  5. Prince MJ, James M, Comas-Herrara A et al (2016) Improving heathcare for people living with demantia: coverage, quality and costs now and in the future. World Alzheimer report 2016. Alzheimer Disease International, London 131 p

    Google Scholar 

  6. Koca E, Taşkapılıoğlu Ö, Bakar M (2017) Caregiver burden in different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Neuropsychiatry 54:82–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Maresova P, Zahalkova V (2016) The economic burden of the care and treatment for people with Alzheimer disease: the outlook for the Czech Republic. Neurol Sci 37:1917–1922

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Zarit SH, Reever KE, Bach-Peterson J (1980) Relatives of the impaired elderly: correlates of feelings of burden. Gerontologist 20:649–655

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Terum TM, Andersen JR, Rongve A, Aarsland D, Svendsboe EJ, Testad I (2017) The relationship of spesific items on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory to caregiver burden in dementia: a systematic review. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 32(7):703–717

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Yılmaz A, Turan E, Gundogar D (2009) Predictors of burnout in the family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease: evidence from Turkey. Australas J Ageing 28:16–21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Raggi A, Tasca D, Panerai S, Neri W, Ferri R (2015) The burden of distress and related coping processes in family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease living in the community. J Neurol Sci 358(1-2):77–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Torrisi M, de Cola MC, Marra A, De Luca R, Bramanti P, Calabro RS (2017) Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia may predict caregiver burden: a Sicilian explatory study. Psychogeriatrics 17(2):103–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Derogatis LR (1975) Brief symptom inventory. Clinical Psychometric Research, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  14. Derogatis LR (1992) The brief symptom inventory (BSI): administration, scoring & procedures manual-II. Clinical Pscyhometric Research Inc, USA

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sahin NH, Durak A (1994) Brief symptom invetory-BSI: a study of the brief symptom inventory in Turkish youth. Turk J Psychol 9(31):44–56

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hughes CP, Berg L, Danziger WL, Coben LA, Martin RL (1982) A new clinical scale for the staging of dementia. Br J Psychiatry 140:566–572

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR (1975) Mini-mental state. J Psychiatr Res 12:189–198

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Güngen C, Ertan T, Eker E, Yaşar Y, Engin F (2002) Reliability and validity of the standardized mini mental state examination in the diagnosis of mild dementia in Turkish population. Turk J Psychiatry 13(4):273–281

    Google Scholar 

  19. Dunkin JJ, Anderson-Hanley C (1998) Dementia caregiver burden: a review of the literature and guidelines for assessment and intervention. Neurology 51(1 Suppl 1):S53–S60 discussion S65-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Corello F, Bonanno L, Lo Buono V, De Salvo S, Allone C et al (2017) Evoluation of psychological condition in caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness: a longitudinal study. Neurol Sci 38:1249–1253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kim Y, Baker F, Spillers RL (2007) Cancer caregivers’ quality of life: effects of gender, relationship and appraisal. J Pain Symptom Manag 34:294–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Ulstein I, Wyller TB, Engedal K (2007) High score on the Relative Stress Scale, a marker of possible psychiatric disorder in family carers of patients with dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 22(3):195–202

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Cuijpers P (2005) Depressive disorders in caregivers of dementia patients: a systematic review. Aging Ment Health 9(4):325–330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sivrioğlu E Yusuf (2004) The relation between caregiving style depression and sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Yeni Symposium 42 (2): 55–59

  25. Rinaldi P, Spazzafumo L, Mastriforti R, Study Group on Brain Aging of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (2005) Predictors of high level of burden and distress in caregivers of demented patients: results of an Italian multicenter study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 20(2):168–174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Burvill PW, Knuiman MW (1983) Which version of the General Health Questionnaire should be used in community studies? Aust N Z J Psychiatry 17(3):237–242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Gonzalez-Salvador MT, Arango C, Lyketsos CG, Barba AC (1999) The stress and psychological morbidity of the Alzheimer patient caregiver. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 14(9):701–710

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Dura JR, Stukenberg KW, Kiecolt-Glaser JK (1991) Anxiety and depressive disorders in adult children caring for demented parents. Psychol Aging 6(3):467–473

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Lökk J (2008) Caregiver strain in Parkinson’s disease and the impact of disease duration. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 44:39–45

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Crespo M, Lopez J, Zarit SH (2005) Depression and anxiety in primary caregivers: a comparative study of caregivers of demented and nondemented older persons. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 20(6):591–592

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Etters L, Goodall D, Harrison BE (2008) Caregiver burden among dementia patient caregivers: a review of the literature. J Am Acad Nurse Pract 20(8):423–428

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Roick C, Heider D, Toumi M, Angermeyer MC (2006) The impact of caregivers’ characteristics, patients’ conditions and regional differences on family burden in schizophrenia: a longitudinal analysis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 114(5):363–374

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Ergh TC, Hanks RA, Rapport LJ, Coleman RD (2003) Social support moderates caregiver life satisfaction following traumatic brain injury. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 25(8):1090–1101

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Kitrungroter L, Cohen MZ (2006) Quality of life of family caregivers of patients with cancer: a literature review. Oncol Nurs Forum 33(3):625–632

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ordu State Hospital, Neurology, Ordu, Turkey

    Tamer Yazar

  2. Ordu University Education and Research Hospital, Neurology, Ordu, Turkey

    Hülya Olgun Yazar

  3. Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Mental Health and Diseases, Ordu, Turkey

    Esra Yancar Demir & Fatih Özdemir

  4. Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Ordu, Turkey

    Soner Çankaya

  5. Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Ordu, Turkey

    Özgür Enginyurt

Authors
  1. Tamer Yazar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hülya Olgun Yazar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Esra Yancar Demir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fatih Özdemir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Soner Çankaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Özgür Enginyurt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tamer Yazar.

Ethics declarations

To complete the study on patients with Alzheimer-type dementia monitored in neurology clinics in Ordu University Education and Research Hospital and Ordu State Hospital and their carers, permission was granted by Ordu Provincial Union of Public Hospitals General Secretary and Ordu University Education and Research Hospital ethics committee numbered 2017/90. The research was completed on a voluntary basis, with no names written on the data collection forms. Patients and patient relatives were informed that the information collected during the research would not be used for any reason outside the aims of the research

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yazar, T., Yazar, H.O., Demir, E.Y. et al. Assessment of the mental health of carers according to the stage of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer-type dementia. Neurol Sci 39, 903–908 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-018-3293-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-018-3293-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation