Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?

This study evaluated the consumption of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with or without dementia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at all geriatric units in Brasília, Brazil, during a two-month period. Structured interviews were performed with 311 caregivers of p...

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Main Authors: Einstein Francisco Camargos, Andrea Brígida Souza, Aline Silva Nascimento, Alessandra Cicari Morais-e-Silva, Juliana Lima Quintas, Luciana Lilian Louzada, Patricia Medeiros-Souza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações 2012-03-01
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2012000300003&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Einstein Francisco Camargos
Andrea Brígida Souza
Aline Silva Nascimento
Alessandra Cicari Morais-e-Silva
Juliana Lima Quintas
Luciana Lilian Louzada
Patricia Medeiros-Souza
author_facet Einstein Francisco Camargos
Andrea Brígida Souza
Aline Silva Nascimento
Alessandra Cicari Morais-e-Silva
Juliana Lima Quintas
Luciana Lilian Louzada
Patricia Medeiros-Souza
author_sort Einstein Francisco Camargos
collection DOAJ
description This study evaluated the consumption of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with or without dementia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at all geriatric units in Brasília, Brazil, during a two-month period. Structured interviews were performed with 311 caregivers of people with or without dementia and they completed questionnaires. Among the caregivers, 196 (63%) were caregivers of patients with dementia and 115 (37%) were caregivers of patients without dementia. Forty-four caregivers (14.1%) were taking psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines or antidepressants), and this usage was more frequent among caregivers of patients with dementia (p<0.01). Twenty-two caregivers of patients with dementia (11.4%) had used sleeping pills after beginning care, compared with only five (4.3%) caregivers of patients without dementia (p<0.01). In conclusion, this study found that caregivers of patients with dementia took psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines and antidepressants) more frequently than the ones of patients without dementia.
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issn 1678-4227
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publisher Thieme Revinter Publicações
record_format Article
series Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
spelling doaj-art-e05670ba66144da99f0b3e028d17c0c22025-08-20T03:20:58ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria1678-42272012-03-0170316917410.1590/S0004-282X2012000300003S0004-282X2012000300003Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?Einstein Francisco Camargos0Andrea Brígida Souza1Aline Silva Nascimento2Alessandra Cicari Morais-e-Silva3Juliana Lima Quintas4Luciana Lilian Louzada5Patricia Medeiros-Souza6Universidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaUniversidade de BrasíliaThis study evaluated the consumption of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with or without dementia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at all geriatric units in Brasília, Brazil, during a two-month period. Structured interviews were performed with 311 caregivers of people with or without dementia and they completed questionnaires. Among the caregivers, 196 (63%) were caregivers of patients with dementia and 115 (37%) were caregivers of patients without dementia. Forty-four caregivers (14.1%) were taking psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines or antidepressants), and this usage was more frequent among caregivers of patients with dementia (p<0.01). Twenty-two caregivers of patients with dementia (11.4%) had used sleeping pills after beginning care, compared with only five (4.3%) caregivers of patients without dementia (p<0.01). In conclusion, this study found that caregivers of patients with dementia took psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines and antidepressants) more frequently than the ones of patients without dementia.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2012000300003&lng=en&tlng=endrogas psicotrópicasidosocuidadordemência
spellingShingle Einstein Francisco Camargos
Andrea Brígida Souza
Aline Silva Nascimento
Alessandra Cicari Morais-e-Silva
Juliana Lima Quintas
Luciana Lilian Louzada
Patricia Medeiros-Souza
Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
drogas psicotrópicas
idoso
cuidador
demência
title Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
title_full Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
title_fullStr Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
title_full_unstemmed Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
title_short Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
title_sort use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia is this a sign of caregiver burden
topic drogas psicotrópicas
idoso
cuidador
demência
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2012000300003&lng=en&tlng=en
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