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H Sakurai et al.
RESEARCH STUDIES
Factors associated with the burden of caregivers of patients with dementia
Dear Editor, A number of studies on family caregiver’s burden have been reported to date; however, this remains a serious problem in memory clinics worldwide. 1,2 As a non-pharmacological treatment for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), we hold classes for caregivers on how to understand and manage patients with dementia. The aim of the present study was to assess the various factors associated with the burden that caregivers bear in coping with patients with dementia, to improve the non-pharmacological treatments of BPSD in patients with dementia. A total of 48 participants from our classes for caregivers were enrolled in the present study. They had a mean age of 64.7 ± 13.4 years, and included 21 spouses,18 daughters, four sons, two daughters-in-law and three others. The patients had a mean age of 70.1 ± 13.6 years, and consisted of 29 women and 19 men. The caregivers provided written informed consent to participate in the present study. They completed all questionnaires including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire,3 the Japanese version of EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D)4 and the Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (J-ZBI).1 The Japanese version of EQ-5D is a rating scale of the quality of life, which is calculated using the EQ-5D utility scores. The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of EQ-5D in patients with Alzheimer’s disease by caregiver-proxy ratings were already confirmed.5 Table 1
The patients underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination6and evaluation of activities of daily living (cognition) according to the report of Imai et al.7 Values were expressed as means ± standard deviations. Contributing factors associated with caregiver’s burden were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. P-values
H Sakurai et al.
RESEARCH STUDIES
Factors associated with the burden of caregivers of patients with dementia
Dear Editor, A number of studies on family caregiver’s burden have been reported to date; however, this remains a serious problem in memory clinics worldwide. 1,2 As a non-pharmacological treatment for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), we hold classes for caregivers on how to understand and manage patients with dementia. The aim of the present study was to assess the various factors associated with the burden that caregivers bear in coping with patients with dementia, to improve the non-pharmacological treatments of BPSD in patients with dementia. A total of 48 participants from our classes for caregivers were enrolled in the present study. They had a mean age of 64.7 ± 13.4 years, and included 21 spouses,18 daughters, four sons, two daughters-in-law and three others. The patients had a mean age of 70.1 ± 13.6 years, and consisted of 29 women and 19 men. The caregivers provided written informed consent to participate in the present study. They completed all questionnaires including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire,3 the Japanese version of EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D)4 and the Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (J-ZBI).1 The Japanese version of EQ-5D is a rating scale of the quality of life, which is calculated using the EQ-5D utility scores. The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of EQ-5D in patients with Alzheimer’s disease by caregiver-proxy ratings were already confirmed.5 Table 1
The patients underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination6and evaluation of activities of daily living (cognition) according to the report of Imai et al.7 Values were expressed as means ± standard deviations. Contributing factors associated with caregiver’s burden were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. P-values
