title: The investigation and comparison of the underlying needs of common disruptive behaviours in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of the disruptive behaviours is one of the most challenging aspects of caring for patients with Alzheimer's dementia (PwAD). The underlying needs of disruptive behaviours in PwAD had rarely been studied, especially the comparison of the underlying needs of disruptive behaviours in PwAD have never been mentioned.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the underlying needs of five common disruptive behaviours including hoarding, aggressive behaviour, repetitive behaviour, altered eating behaviour and delusion in PwAD, as perceived by family caregivers, and to relate these needs from the perspective of Maslow's hierarchy.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory research design with qualitative data collection techniques was employed. Informed consent was obtained from each participant prior to the data collection. A total of 65 pairs of caregiver-patient with Alzheimer's disease participated in the study. A semi-structured interview guide was used during the interview, and the directed content analysis method was conducted to analyse data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four themes related to the underlying needs of the five selected disruptive behaviours emerged from the data, and these included a desire for comfort (physical and psychological), a desire for security (psychological and economic), a need for a sense of belonging (including a need to connect with the outside world and a need for attention) and a need for self-control. These behaviour features were found closely related to Maslow's hierarchy model of human needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the data were gathered from the caregivers, and the views of the patients were thus not included in the analysis, the findings provide information for health providers that can enable them to better understand the underlying needs of common disruptive behaviours in patients with Alzheimer's disease and thus help develop better patient-centred care plans.
authors: Department of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Chi-Jane
authors: CJ
authors: Wang
authors: Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Ming-Chyi
authors: MC
authors: Pai
authors: Department of Nursing, Foo Yin University, Kaoshiung, Taiwan.
authors: Hua-Shan
authors: HS
authors: Hsiao
authors: Department of Nursing and Institute of Allied Health Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Jing-Jy
authors: JJ
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D060845:Hoarding / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; disruptive behaviours; underlying needs