Prevalence of geriatric depression and alexithymia in wife caregivers of patients with dementia

TARTAGLINI, M.F.; HERMIDA, P.D.; FELDBERG, C.; DILLON, C.; SOMALE, V.; STEFANI, D.

Chicago

Conferencia; AAIC 2018 - Alzheimer´s Association International Conference; 2018

Alzheimer´s Association

Background: Caregiving for a patient with dementia is a stressful process which increases the risk of physical and mental problems, and tends to restrict the caregiver´s social life to the caregiver-patient relationship. The role of family caregiver is mainly assumed by married middle-aged women who live with the patient. The objetive is evaluate the prevalence of geriatric depression and alexithymia and the possible association between these two variables in elderly wife caregivers, undiagnosed with depression. Methods: A simple retrospective, cross sectional, correlational study was conducted. A non-probability, purposive sampling strategy was used. The sample was comprised of 105 self-reliant wife caregivers over sixty years old, living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were evaluated in individual interviews using the following measures: a socio-demographic questionnaire (ad hoc), an adaptation of the Geriatric Depression Scale created by Yesavage (V-15) and the Latin American Consensual Toronto Alexithymia Scale LAC TAS-20. Measures of central tendency and of dispersion were obtained to describe geriatric depression and alexithymia and the Pearsons "r" correlation coefficient was used to measure the degree of association between these two variables. An error probability minor or equal to 0.05 was established. Data were analysed by SPSS statistical software version 21.0. Results: Median age of caregivers was 70.20 years old (ds: 7.1 years). The prevalence of geriatric depression was 57.8 %, and that of alxithymia was 52%. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was found between the two variables ("r": .464, p: .000). Conclusions: Family caregivers are underdiagnosed patients. Therefore, the evaluation of these subjects in parallel with the patient´s medical consultation is recommended. Assessing levels of geriatric depression and alexithymia on its initial stages allows for proper diagnoses and treatment, in order to preserve the family caregiver´s well-being.