Behavioural and instrumental stressors in Dementia (BISID): refocussing the assessment of caregiver need in dementia

Abstract

The importance of supporting family carers of people with dementia is well accepted and is likely to remain one of the primary areas of intervention for mental health practitioners. This article argues for a holistic assessment of need prior to designing intervention strategies. Such an assessment should include both objective and subjective stressors. Following discussion of a relevant theoretical approach to assessment, a new index for measuring behavioural and instrumental stressors is presented.