title: Reaction to a dementia diagnosis in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine short-term changes in depression and anxiety after receiving a dementia diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre/post survey design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety individuals and their companions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen-item Geriatric Depression Scale and 20-item "state" version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine percent of the individuals were diagnosed with dementia; two-thirds of those were in the earliest symptomatic stages of dementia that, in other settings, is considered to represent mild cognitive impairment. No significant changes in depression were noted in individuals or their companions, regardless of diagnostic outcome or dementia severity. Anxiety decreased substantially after diagnostic feedback in most groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disclosure of a dementia diagnosis does not prompt a catastrophic emotional reaction in most people, even those who are only mildly impaired, and may provide some relief once an explanation for symptoms is known and a treatment plan is developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA. bcarpenter@wustl.edu
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: Chengjie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Emily K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Porensky
authors.forename: Monica M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coats
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology