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P2‐565: SOCIAL MEDIA IS EFFECTIVE TO RECRUIT DEMENTIA FAMILY CAREGIVERS FOR ONLINE DAILY DIARY RESEARCH
Author(s) -
Pickering Carolyn E.,
Yefimova Maria
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1260
Subject(s) - generalizability theory , social media , dementia , medicine , evening , family caregivers , morning , gerontology , family medicine , psychology , disease , developmental psychology , physics , pathology , astronomy , political science , law
Background: Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) have been shown to manifest milder severity neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). However, there are limited studies looking at the impact of NPS on their caregivers. We seek to characterise the neuropsychiatric profile of persons with MCI and its impact on the various aspects of caregiver burden. Methods: 141 persons with MCI and caregiver pairs were recruited consecutively. Demographic data and functional parameters of persons with MCI were collected, whilst Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), Neuropsychiatric Caregiver Distress (NPI-D) and Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZBI) were administered to caregivers. Results of NPI-Q and NPI-D were analysed in symptom clusters of affective symptoms, psychosis, psychomotor symptoms, apathy, sleep disturbances and eating disorders. ZBI scores were analysed in a validated factor analysis of 4 factors of a) high demands of care and social impact (DoC), b) low confidence and control over situation (CC), c) high personal strain (PS) and d) high worry about performance (WaP). Descriptive statistics were performed to identify frequencies of NPI-Q clusters and corresponding NPI-D. Partial correlations were performed for NPS clusters with ZBI factors. Results: Mean age of persons with MCI was 72.54, and that of caregivers was 53.03. NPS of highest frequencies were that of psychomotor symptoms (56.4%) and closely followed by affective symptoms (52.5%). Correspondingly, the 2 highest frequencies of caregiver distress were due to psychomotor symptoms and affective symptoms (40% and 34.3% respectively). Looking at partial correlations, affective symptoms (r1⁄40.232, p1⁄40.013), psychomotor symptoms (r1⁄4370, p1⁄40.00), apathy (r1⁄40.241, p1⁄40.010) were significantly positively correlated with high total ZBI scores. In particular, psychomotor symptoms were significantly correlated with all 4 factors of caregiver burden: high DoC (r1⁄4 0.371, p1⁄40.00), low CC (r1⁄40.194 p1⁄40.039), high PS (p1⁄40.416, p1⁄40.00) and highWaP (r1⁄40.197, p1⁄40.036). Conclusions:Our study has shown that neuropsychiatric symptoms of affective symptoms and psychomotor symptoms are fairly prevalent amongst persons with MCI and cause significant caregiver burden. Knowledge of aspects of caregiver burden affected in specific clusters of NPS is useful in developing targeted strategies of counselling and utilising of resources to help caregivers of persons with MCI.