Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: the psychosocial context

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), such as sadness and agitation, are common in people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. NPS are distressing for both the person with a cognitive impairment and those around them. In this thesis, the relationship between the psychosocial environment and NPS in cognitive impairment was investigated. This thesis shows that in the general population, persons with mild cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms have a higher risk of developing dementia than persons without depressive symptoms. In addition, it appears that the relationship between NPS in cognitive impairment and the psychosocial environment is important, but complex. NPS lead to, among other things, that informal carers find the relationship between them and the person with dementia less good. Social support could possibly protect against this. In addition, there is also a relationship between the way a caregiver talks about a person with dementia and NPS. Finally, in the nursing home, social support between nurses and their supervisors could lead to less aggression in residents with dementia.