[Family caregiver burden caused by behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: measurement with a new original scale].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to measure the caregiver burden caused by behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (CBBD) using an originally developed scale and to estimate the CBBD scores in a large sample of family caregivers of elderly people.


METHODS
The subjects were 1,818 users of the public Long-term Care Insurance, randomly stratified and sampled in Higashi-osaka city, Osaka prefecture. Data were collected through mailed, anonymous self-report questionnaires. The survey was conducted in October 2003. We created a 10-item CBBD scale based on previous studies on caregivers of dementia. The CBBD scale was applied to all caregivers regardless of dementia symptoms, and we also collected the following information: demographic data of the care-recipients and caregivers, the level of cognitive disorders of the care-recipient and the overall subjective caregiver burden.


RESULTS
All items of the CBBD scale were selected at higher percentages by caregivers of care-recipients with cognitive disorders than caregivers of care-recipients without cognitive disorders. In particular, the relative risk and odds ratio of caregivers of care-recipients with cognitive disorder was higher in items such as 'the caregiver feels fear and anxiety about the care-recipient's unpredictable behavior', 'the care-recipient doesn't understand what the caregiver says', 'the caregiver feels irritated with incomprehensible care-recipient's behavior' which pose psychological stress or pressure on caregivers. On the other hand, the relative risk and odds ratio of the overall subjective caregiver burden was lower than that of any item of the CBBD scale. Furthermore, all CBBD items were related to symptoms of dementia (aroused/paranoid behavior, memory disorder, cognitive dysfunction, pica behavior).


CONCLUSIONS
The CBBD scale had sensitivity for the care-recipient's cognitive disorder. In addition, it can detect more precisely the caregiver burden such as psychological stress or pressure due to the care-recipient's cognitive disorders, and it is also useful to assess the needs of caregivers who care for elderly family members with dementia.
Sugiura
Keiko
K
Division of Health Promotion Science, Nursing Science, Course of Health Science Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University.
Ito
Mikiko
M
Mikami
Hiroshi
H
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires