Impact of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia on Caregivers

Abstract

The term behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) encompasses a diverse cluster of behavioral disturbances, such as restlessness (Hope et al., 1994), aggression (Patel & Hope, 1992), and shouting (Cohen-Mansfield & Werner, 1997), and a variety of psychiatric symptoms, including delusions (Burns et al., 1990), hallucinations (Holroyd & Sheldon-Keller, 1995), depression (Greenwald et al., 1989), and anxiety (Ballard et al., 1996a). Such symptoms are extremely common in patients with dementia and have important associations with burden and depression in caregivers.