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Predictors of quality of life in Chilean family caregivers of people with dementia
Author(s) -
MirandaCastillo Claudia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.041987
Subject(s) - dysfunctional family , dementia , anxiety , quality of life (healthcare) , depression (economics) , family caregivers , medicine , clinical psychology , depressive symptoms , cognition , mental health , gerontology , psychology , psychiatry , disease , nursing , economics , macroeconomics
Background In Chile, it is estimated that about 200.000 persons have dementia and this number will triplicate by 2020. Most care is provided by family caregivers who experience a negative impact on their physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to identify which factors from family caregivers and the person with dementia (PwD) were related to caregiver’s quality of life. Method This was a cross‐sectional study. The sample was composed by 90 family caregivers of PwD living in the community. Caregivers were interviewed about PwD’s quality of life, cognitive function, functionality and neuropsychiatric symptoms. They were also asked about their own quality of life, dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving, frequency and satisfaction with pleasant activities, burden, anxiety, depressive symptoms and the stress generated by PwD’s neuropsychiatric symptoms. Result None of the PwD’s factors were directly associated with caregivers’ quality of life. However, caregivers with higher levels of stress generated by PwD’s neuropsychiatric symptoms showed significant lower quality of life (r=‐0.22; p<.01). In addition, caregivers with higher levels of anxiety (r=‐0.45; p<.01), depression (r=‐0.45; p<.01) and burden (r=‐0.41; p<.01) plus lower frequency (r=0.31; p<.01) and satisfaction (r=0.41; p<.01) with pleasant activities had significantly worse quality of life. Finally, anxiety and depressive symptoms explained 25% of the variability in caregivers’ quality of life (F=14.1; p<.01). Conclusion In order to improve family caregivers’ quality of life it is essential that dementia public policies address their needs. Interventions focused on improving their mental health should consider not only pharmacological approaches but also psychosocial and psychotherapeutic ones which could help with both, the management of PwD’s neuropsychiatric symptoms and the reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms.