title: Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease: The Role of Caregiver Burden and Coping Strategies.
abstract: This study was conducted to obtain data regarding the association of caregiver burden (CB) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) in patients with Alzheimer's disease. We conducted a series of multiple linear regressions to determine the relationship between CB and NPSs and whether the caregiver coping strategies mediated this relationship. The NPSs were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and caregivers were evaluated with the Caregiver Burden Interview and the Inventory and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Results show that patients with more frequent and severe NPS were more likely to be cared for by more burdened caregivers, and this was partially mediated by caregiver coping strategies. More disengagement (β = .330,P< .001) and less engagement coping (β = -.347,P< .001) were predictors for NPS after adjusting for patient and caregiver characteristics. These results may be useful with a view to designing treatment interventions that aim to modify the use of caregiver coping strategies and to reduce NPSs.
authors.affiliation: Dementia Unit, Instituto Andaluz de Neurociencia y Conducta, Málaga, Spain Cognitive Neurophysiology Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain jmgalberca@ianec.com.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Alberca
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neurophysiology Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: José Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.affiliation: Dementia Unit, Instituto Andaluz de Neurociencia y Conducta, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.affiliation: Dementia Unit, Instituto Andaluz de Neurociencia y Conducta, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gris
authors.affiliation: Dementia Unit, Instituto Andaluz de Neurociencia y Conducta, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: González-Herero
authors.affiliation: Asociación Criptana de Enfermos de Alzheimer, Campo de Criptana, Spain.
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lara
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; anxiety; caregiver burden; coping; depression; neuropsychiatric symptoms