Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms and Caregiver Burden in Mexican Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Background: Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-70% of dementias. An estimated 44 million people worldwide are living with dementia. Caregiver burden is a multidimensional response with physical, emotional, social and financial consequences for family members. Behavioral or neuropsychiatric problems are one of the most common causes that require medical attention and hospitalization. Their presence accentuates the deterioration of patients and increases the burden on caregivers. Objective: To determine behavioral or neuropsychiatric problems that increase caregiver burden of family members with Alzheimer's disease. Material and methods: Descriptive study, convenience sampling, conducted in 60 primary caregivers of a family member with Alzheimer, interviewed in Monterrey Alzheimer Association (Mexico), over 18 years old, in 2014. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire and the Zarit scale that values burden were applied. Zarit score and the different types of problems were obtained. The chi2 for categorical variables with a p value of < 0.05 was used. Results: Caregivers were mostly women, of 53 years on average, married, housewives, with college education. Caregiver burden in over half of the cases was moderate to severe; a third was intense and15% mild to moderate. Statistically significant symptoms for caregiver burden were anxiety (p < 0.05), disinhibition (p < 0.05), irritability (p < 0.005, hallucinations (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The patient behavior problems increase the caregiver burden.