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Comorbid Psychosocial Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients With Dementia

Received October 7, 2003; revised July 11 and November 4, 2004; accepted November 19, 2004. From the Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center (ALS,JS,CMA,MEK), the Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness, Research, Education, and Clinical Center (ALS,MEK), the Medicine (ALS,CMA,MEK), and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Departments, (ALS,RD,JS,MEK) Baylor College of Medicine, the Little Rock Veterans Affairs Medical Center (GS), and the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Arkansas School of Medical Sciences (GS). Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. A. Lynn Snow, 2002 Holcombe (152), Houston, TX 77030. e-mail: asnow{at}bcm.tmc.edu
© 2005 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Objective: The authors examined the association between treatable comorbid psychosocial symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with dementia. In an effort to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this relationship, this study included both patient reports of their QOL and caregiver reports of patient QOL. Methods: Eighty-nine dyads, consisting of a community-residing veteran with dementia and his family caregiver, were interviewed once to determine the correlation between patient QOL and depression, functional disability, pain, and agitation. Results: Higher patient-rated QOL was significantly associated with lower patient depression. Higher caregiver-rated patient QOL was associated with lower caregiver depression and higher patient functional status. Agitation was not related to patient-rated or caregiver-rated patient QOL. Conclusions: Authors discuss the psychometric and conceptual implications of possible differences between self- and other-ratings of QOL, and treatment implications for caregiver-education interventions.

Key Words: Dementia • Quality of Life • Psychosocial Symptoms • Depression

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