| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| Behavioural disturbances in dementia patients and quality of the marital relationship | | Author(s) | Marjolein E de Vugt, Fred Stevens, Pauline Aalten |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 18, no 2, February 2003 |
| Pages | pp 149-154 |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Behaviour disorders ; Spouses as carers ; Married couples ; Personal relationships ; Netherlands. |
| Annotation | 53 spouse caregivers of patients with dementia participated in this study, part of the Maastricht Study of Behaviour in Dementia (MAASBED). Questionnaires and interviews were used to examine caregiver perception of changes in the quality of their relationship. Patients' behavioural disturbances were measured with the NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Caregivers experienced a deterioration of their relationship, yet at the same time, most felt closer to their spouse than in the past. Regression analysis revealed that patients' behavioural problems were, independent of patient cognitive status or functional impairment, associated with deterioration in the quality of the relationship between patient and caregiver. Patient apathy rather than depressive mood was associated with this deterioration. Apathy diminished the amount and reciprocity of interactions between partners. These results show that passive behaviour rather than excessive behaviour has most impact on the deterioration of the marital relationship. Intervention programmes should target relationship problems when problem behaviour - especially apathy - is present in patients with dementia. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-030305213 A |
| Classmark | EA: EP: P6:SN: SM: DS: 76H |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|