Caregivers' education decreases depression symptoms and burden in caregivers of patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether providing education to caregivers of patients with dementia decreases their depression symptoms and burden. METHODS: Eighty-three outpatients with dementia being treated at the Memory Clinic of Tokyo Medical University Hospital and their caregivers were enrolled. Forty-seven caregivers were enrolled in the caregivers' education (EDU) group and 36 were enrolled in the control (CTL) group. Caregivers were assessed for depression, burden, and quality of life (QoL). Patients were assessed for cognition, psychological symptoms, and QoL. Assessments were carried out at baseline and at 3 months (3M). Caregivers in the EDU group received lectures on symptoms and progression of dementia, management of symptoms, use of social resources etc. RESULTS: At 3M, prevalence of depression symptoms in the EDU group significantly decreased from 36% to 17%, whereas it significantly increased from 22% to 50% in the CTL group. Depression and burden were significantly improved at 3M in the EDU group, whereas they significantly worsened in the CTL group. Psychological symptoms showed a lower tendency at 3M for the EDU group. No significant changes in QoL of caregivers and patients were found in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Providing education to caregivers of patients with dementia improves their depression symptoms and sense of burden, and tends to improve the behaviour and psychological symptoms of dementia in the patients. Providing education to caregivers of dementia patients may hence result in beneficial effects for both the patients and their caregivers, and should be widely used in dementia care.