Associations between unmet needs for daytime activities and company and scores on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire in people with dementia: a longitudinal study

M. Michelet*, G. Selbaek, B.H. Strand, A. Lund, K. Engedal, A. Bieber, M. Goncalves-Pereira, L. Hopper, K. Irving, H. Jelley, M.J. Marques, M. Orrell, D.M. Portolani, B.M. Sjolund, A. Skoldunger, A. Stephan, Frans Verhey, Marjolein de Vugt, C. Wolfs, B. WoodsO. Zanetti, S. Bergh, ActifCare Consortium

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)725-734
Number of pages10
JournalAging & Mental Health
Volume26
Issue number4
Early online date30 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Apr 2022

Keywords

  • Dementia
  • needs assessment
  • daytime activities
  • company
  • BPSD

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