Anxiety-depression and quality of life in dementia caregivers

บทคัดย่อ

Objective  To determine factors predicted anxiety and depression among dementia caregivers and study quality of life among dementia caregivers.

Materials and methods  A cross-sectional study was carried out in the outpatient department of Srithanya hospital. The data were collected in a sample of 94 major informal caregivers by self-report questionnaires including: a demographic data questionnaires; Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) Thai version; Thai activity of daily living measure; Thai- Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Thai HADS); Short-form 36 questionnaires (SF-36) Thai version. The psychiatrist interviewed caregivers by using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaires (NPI-Q Thai version). The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression.

Results All samples were family caregivers and were mostly responsible for the patients. Anxiety was found in 12% of caregivers and 8% had depression. The factor that predicted anxiety was inadequate incomes and disinhibition in patients predicted caregiver depression. The quality of life of caregivers was lower than that of general Thai people in almost all dimensions especially in role limitation due to physical and emotional problem.

Conclusion  Caregivers of demented patients had higher rate of anxiety and depressive disorders, especially in caregivers who took care of patients with disinhibitive symptoms and had inadequate incomes.