Factors associated with family caregiver burden of patients with dementia

Neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, also known as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, are extremely common. These symptoms represent one of the main causes of burden and distress among caregivers and can lead to decline in their physical and mental health.

This study aimed to identify predominant characteristics in a sample of Brazilian outpatient dementia patients and explore which symptoms exert the greatest influence on caregiver burden.

This was a cross-sectional study involving 119 caregivers. Stepwise regression analysis was used, with caregiver burden as the dependent variable and depressive symptoms, caregiver distress due to neuropsychiatric symptoms, and quality of life as independent variables in the final model.

Regression analysis identified three different models as predictors of caregiver burden. The first model, composed of depressive symptoms, predicted 34% of caregiver burden (p≤0.000). The second model, composed of depressive symptoms and caregiver distress due to neuropsychiatric symptoms, predicted 49% (p≤0.000). The third model, composed of depressive symptoms, caregiver distress due to neuropsychiatric symptoms, and quality of life, predicted 52% (p≤0.008).

Our findings indicate that problematic behaviors in dementia patients, depressive symptoms, and quality of life are associated with the level of caregiver burden and distress. Further research is needed to differentiate these findings among different types of dementia and to better understand how caregivers' individual characteristics influence their own burden.