Structure of Personality at Intrapsychic and Interpersonal Levels and Depression of Caregivers of Patients Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease: Which Psychotherapeutic Approach?

Background: Many studies have underlined as caregiving for people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is highly stressful and has significant negative consequences. Objectives: The study of the structure of personality, can help to understand the association between depression, intrapsychic and interpersonal processes of caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients and what kind of intervention can be planned to favor the stress burden management. Methods: Case group: Caregivers (CG) (n = 75);control group, Subjects not Caregivers (nCG) (n. 104). Tests: SASB questionnaire (Structural Analysis of Interpersonal Behavior) describing intrapsychic and interpersonal processes of the structure of personality validated on the basis of DSMIV;CDQ questionnaires—depression. Results: Intrapsychic level: From the results it emerged that CGs had lower autonomy in their choices, and lower acceptance of their own feelings, and exercised greater self-control exhausting themselves toward predetermined goals, and more depression compared to the control group. They may be not able to achieve psychic equilibrium in the presence of stress: they may likely become disoriented and engage in behaviors that may be self-defeating. SASB-Cl = Autonomy (p 0.001);SASB-Cl2-Autonomy and Love (p 0.001), SASB-CL3-Love (p 0.001);SASB-Cl4 Love and control (p 0.001), SASB-CL5-Control (p = 0.015), SASB-Cl6-Control and hate (p 0.001), SASB-Cl7-Hate (p Conclusions: Intrapsychic characteristics such as tendency to depression, inability to being in contact with their own feelings, excessive self-control may be linked to difficulties in facing burden of care and indicate serious difficulties to adaptation to burden condition. The knowledge of these modalities could allow to plan a psychotherapeutic and multidisciplinary intervention aimed at facing and overcoming the psychological distress of the caregiver.

Evaluation of Anxiety and Depression in Caregivers of Patients Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Many studies have been underlined as care giving for people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is highly stressful and has significant negative consequences, such as anxiety and depression. Objective: The specific aim of our study is to establish whether a difference exists in the prevalence of depression of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients and healthy subjects not caregiver. Methods: Study group (n = 60) consists of caregivers of patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease, whereas control group (n = 120) consists of healthy individuals who are not care giving (from at least 5 years). All the subjects were subdivided on the basis of the following independent variables: sex, age, marital status and educational level. The subjects of study and control groups studied have filled in the following tests: IPAT CDQ e IPAT ASQ Tests by Cattell which describe depression and anxiety. Such tests have been validated on the adult and elderly Italian population. Statistical analysis: Student t test has been applied for the comparison between experimental and control groups. Results: The caregivers show higher levels of anxiety (medium to high, P < 0.001) and depression in comparison to the group of control (medium to high, P < 0.001). This result indicates the caregiver shows serious depression. Conclusions: The high levels of depression and anxiety suggest the following considerations: interventions of social and psychological support are fundamental not only to maintain the patient in the family nucleus but also to maintain the caregiver’s psychological health.