Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 4 of 4
The prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and behavioural disturbances and the use of psychotropic drugs in Norwegian nursing homes
- Authors:
- SALBAEK Geir, KIRKEVOLD Oyvind, ENGEDAL Knut
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(9), September 2007, pp.843-849.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Psychiatric and behavioural symptoms in dementia are associated with a range of negative outcomes, including institutional placement and the widespread use of psychotropic drugs in spite of limited evidence for their efficacy. The aim was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric and behavioural symptoms and the pattern of psychotropic drug prescription in patients with various degrees of dementia. A sample of 1,163 non-selected nursing home patients were assessed by means of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, the Clinical Dementia Rating scale and Lawton's activities of daily living scale. In addition, information was collected from the patients' records. Dementia was found in 81% of the patients and 72% of them had clinically significant psychiatric and behavioural symptoms. The frequencies of symptoms increased with the severity of the dementia. Psychotropic medication was being prescribed to 75% of patients with dementia. There was a significant relationship between the type of drug and the symptom for which it had been dispensed. Psychiatric and behavioural symptoms are frequent in nursing homes and the rate increases with the progression of the dementia. Systematic programmes are needed for disseminating skills and providing guidance regarding the evaluation and treatment of these symptoms in nursing homes.
Imagining transitions in old age through the visual matrix method: thinking about what is hard to bear
- Author:
- LIVENG Anne
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 31(2), 2017, pp.155-170.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Dominant discourses of ageing are often confined to what is less painful to think about and therefore idealise or denigrate ageing and later life. The authors present findings from an exploratory psychosocial study, in a Nordic context, into three later-life transitions: from working life to retirement, from mental health to dementia and from life to death. Because, for some, these topics are hard to bear and therefore defended against and routinely excluded from everyday awareness, the authors used a method led by imagery and affect – the visual matrix – to elicit participants’ free associative personal and collective imagination. Through analysis of data extracts, on the three transitions, we illustrate oscillations between defending against the challenges of ageing and realism in facing the anxieties it can provoke. A recurring theme includes the finality of individual life and the inter-generational continuity, which together link life and death, hope and despair, separation and connectedness (Edited publisher abstract)
Association of psychological distress late in life and dementia-related mortality
- Authors:
- ROSNESS Tor Atle, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 20(6), 2016, pp.603-610.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objective: This study investigates the association between self-reported psychological distress and risk of dementia-related mortality. Method: The study included 31,043 eligible individuals between the ages of 60 and 80 years, at time of examination, from the CONOR (Cohort of Norway) database. They were followed for a period of 17.4 years (mean 11.5 years). The CONOR Mental Health Index, a seven-item self-report scale was used. A cut-off score equal to or above 2.15 on the scale denoted psychological distress. Cox regression was used to assess the association between psychological distress and risk of dementia-related mortality. Results: Total number of registered deaths was 11,762 and 1118 (9.5%) were classified as cases of dementia-related mortality. 2501 individuals (8.1%) had psychological distress, of these, 119 (10.6%) had concomitant dementia-related mortality. Individuals with psychological distress had an increased risk of dementia-related mortality after adjusting for age, gender and education. The association remained significant although attenuated when implemented in a full adjusted model, including general health status, smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and history of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Results indicate that psychological distress in elderly individuals is associated with increased risk of dementia-related mortality. Individuals at increased risk of dementia may benefit from treatments or interventions that lessen psychological distress, but this needs to be confirmed in future clinical studies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Personality features, caring burden and mental health of cohabitants of partners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or dementia
- Authors:
- NORDTUG Bente, KROKSTAD Steinar, HOLEN Are
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 15(3), April 2011, pp.318-326.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The aim of this study was to investigate the interplay between personality, mental health and type of disease in explaining caring burden of caregivers of partners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or dementia. A cross-sectional study included 206 participants, 105 cohabitants of partners with COPD and 101 cohabitants of partners with dementia. Neuroticism was assessed by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and externality by Locus of Control of Behaviour. The Relative Stress Scale evaluated caring burden. Mental health was determined by the General Health Quality (GHQ-28) questionnaire. The results found that neuroticism and type of illness played a major role in explaining caring burden and mental health. Many of the carers were above the cut-off point for psychiatric caseness on the GHQ; 30.5% for the COPD group, and 58.4% for the dementia group. Both groups had low scores for depression and high scores for social dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia and somatisation. Compared to the dementia group, the COPD group had lower scores and fairly stable levels on all subscales of the GHQ. Females had higher scores on somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia; they also reported higher scores on neuroticism and externality. The article concludes that differences in personality and illness explained both caring burden and mental health among caregivers.