Psychopathological Symptoms in Caregivers of Demented and Nondemented Patients

Abstract

Currently, more than 1 in 10 adults living in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is involved in nonprofessional care of a dependent family member. The main causes of dependence are dementia, followed by other conditions such as cerebrovascular accidents, limb impairment, depression, and vision impairment. Although care provided by the caregiver is crucial to the well-being of the cared person, it can also have negative consequences on the caregiver's emotional state. This chapter aims to describe the psychopathological symptoms experienced by caregivers based on the condition of the person cared for. A bibliographic search was conducted to examine the efects of care on the emotional state of caregivers, distinguishing patients with dementia from those with other conditions. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were the most frequent psychopathological symptoms, both in caregivers of demented and nondemented patients, experienced by caregivers of patients with dementia, cerebrovascular accidents, traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism spectrum disorder. In caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder and vision impairment, depressive symptoms were most prominent, whereas anxiety symptoms were common in caregivers of patients with spinal cord injuries. Sleep disturbances were found among caregivers of dementia and schizophrenia patients. Strategies for preventing psychopathological symptoms were provided and the importance of professional support when they occur was pointed out.

Does the Disease of the Person Receiving Care Affect the Emotional State of Non-professional Caregivers?

“…Overall, the caregivers had moderate emotional distress (somatic, anxiety and insomnia symptoms had the highest scores), and 33.8% presented with a probable mental disorder. This finding is consistent with previous research (Vázquez et al, 2018), where psychopathological symptoms were common among caregivers, and anxiety symptoms were one of the most frequently observed.…”

“…Approximately 301 different diagnoses have been identified in which assistance in daily life activities are required (Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators, 2015), and this assistance is generally provided by a relative (Solé-Auró and Crimmins, 2014). However, scientific literature has clearly documented the negative consequences that care has on non-professional caregivers’ mental health (Vázquez et al, 2018). Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and social dysfunction are the most common psychological problems (Clark and Bond, 2000; Torres et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2017).…”

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Stress Burden in Caregivers of Patients With Severe Mental Illness: An Underestimated Health Concern

“…Looking after patients with psychiatric disorders is often associated with a lot of sacrifices, as care givers need to adapt their personal lives to care for their patient on detriment of social, family, leisure, and even professional life. Those adaptive coping strategies often remain ungratified and underestimated, which potentially generate diverse psychopathologies on depressive and anxiety dimensions ( 1 ).…”

Problem-solving intervention to prevent depression in non-professional caregivers: a randomized controlled trial with 8 years of follow-up

“…The conditions that can lead a patient to require dependent care are varied. Among these, the main causes of dependence are, first, dementia, followed by other conditions such as cerebrovascular accidents, traumatic brain injury, cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, vision impairment and blindness, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorder (Vázquez et al ., 2017). Typically, all of these conditions require daily caregiver assistance.…”