title: Depression of Family Caregivers Is Associated with Disagreements on Life-Sustaining Preferences for Treating Patients with Dementia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family caregivers may not agree with patients with dementia regarding attitudes toward end-of-life preferences, and the effects of this type of disagreement are not well understood. This study sought to identify such a disagreement and its predictors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional sample of 84 family caregivers and patients with dementia was recruited from memory clinics. We used the Mini-Mental State Examination, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Clinical Dementia Rating, and Katz index of independence in activities of daily living to assess patient symptoms, functions, and severity of dementia. Caregivers completed questionnaires on perceived patient end-of-life care preferences, caregiver end-of-life care preferences for patients, Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and knowledge of clinical complications of advanced dementia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The self-disclosure rates of patient preferences were 34.5% for tube feeding, 39.3% for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 45.2% for mechanical ventilation. For patients who had disclosed preferences, the disagreement rate between them and their caregivers was 48.3% for tube feeding, 48.5% for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 60.3% for mechanical ventilation. Caregiver depression (i.e., CES-D ≥16) was associated with disagreements on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 6.6, 95% CI = 1.4-31.1, P = 0.01) and mechanical ventilation (aOR = 14, 95% CI = 2.2-87.2, P = 0.005) preferences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preferences of end-of-life issues differed greatly between dementia patients and their caregivers. Depression in caregivers is associated with such discrepancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yao-Tung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ju
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jen-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shuu-Jiun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Schools of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jong-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fuh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057240:Patient Preference; D013624:Taiwan; D013727:Terminal Care; D055815:Young Adult