Evaluation of Psychiatric Status and Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Patients and Carers

Abstract

Apart from the importance of caregiver support in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), whose frequency is increasing and the destruction process is 8 to 10 years, psychological and physical depressions are inevitable in the caregivers who provide support. In our study, we compared the effect of quality of life and depressive symptoms of the patient and caregiver with sociodemographic characteristics and their relationship with the degree of illness. To work; 60 Alzheimer's patients currently being cared for at home and their caregivers were included. Some test were administered to the patients. The Beck Depression Scale and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Scale-Short form were filled out by Alzheimer's caregivers. In our study, we found that most of the caregivers were women, married, and most cared for by their brides. We found that the quality of life and mental state of the caregiver was more affected by sociodemographic characteristics and closeness to the patient, rather than the degree of illness of the patient, because among the caregivers, the spouses and then the children were the ones showing the most depression symptoms. In the light of these findings, we determined the necessity of providing a more professional caregiver mechanism other than relatives in Alzheimer's patients and its importance for the mental health of patients, caregivers and their families. © 2023, Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Tip Fakultesi. All rights reserved.