Associations between unmet needs for daytime activities and company and scores on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire in people with dementia: a longitudinal study
Objectives: To examine prospectively the association between unmet needs for daytime activities and company and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Methods: We included 451 people with mild or moderate dementia, from eight European countries, who were assessed three times over 12 months. Unmet needs were measured with the Camberwell
Assessment of Need for the Elderly. Three sub-syndromes of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire were regressed, one-by-one, against unmet needs for daytime activities and company, adjusting for demographic and clinical-functional covariates.
Results: Unmet needs for daytime activities were associated with more affective symptoms at baseline, six and twelve months, mean 0.74 (p < 0.001), 0.76 (p < 0.001) and 0.78 (p = 0.001) points higher score respectively, and with more psychotic symptoms at baseline (mean 0.39 points, p = 0.007) and at six months follow-up (mean 0.31 points, p = 0.006). Unmet needs for company were associated with more affective symptoms at baseline, six and twelve months, mean 0.44 (p = 0.033), 0.67 (p < 0.001) and 0.91 (p < 0.001) points higher score respectively, and with more psychotic symptoms at baseline (mean 0.40 points, p = 0.005) and at six months (mean 0.35 points, p = 0.002) follow-up.
Conclusion: Interventions to reduce unmet needs for daytime activities and company could reduce affective and psychotic symptoms in people with dementia.
Ministry of Education and Research, Germany, Health research board, Ireland, Ministry of Health, Italy, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development,, The Swedish Research Council for Health,, Working Life and Welfare, Norway,, The Research Council of Norway, Ministry of Health, the Netherlands, Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal, Economic and Social Research Council, UK
ID Code:
25830
Deposited On:
05 May 2021 16:12 by
Louise Hopper
. Last Modified 20 Jul 2023 12:25