Caregiver burden in multiple sclerosis: the impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
BACKGROUND
We studied the level of distress in caregivers of patients with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS), and their relation to clinical characteristics.


METHODS
Caregivers of patients with MS and Parkinson's disease completed measures of distress and quality of life. MS patients underwent neurological, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological examinations. Multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between patient variables and caregiver distress.


RESULTS
Caregivers of patients with MS experienced high levels of distress and reduced quality of life related to caregiving. The level of distress was similar to that reported by elderly spouses of patients with longstanding Parkinson's disease. Psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment in patients with MS were associated with caregiver's distress and quality of life, even after controlling for level of disability (all p values <0.01). Patients' physical impairment was associated with caregiver distress, but not with caregiver quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers of patients with MS experience high levels of distress and reduced quality of life. Psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment contributed significantly to caregiver distress, over and above the effect of disability due to neurological symptoms.
Figved
Nanna
N
Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Myhr
Kjell-Morten
KM
Larsen
Jan-Petter
JP
Aarsland
Dag
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018454:Spouses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*