Qualidade de vida de cuidadores familiares de idosos com demência de Alzheimer : relação com depressão, ansiedade, desesperança e fardo

Abstract

This study investigates the correlation between quality of life (QL) of family caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) and depression, anxiety, hopelessness and burden presented by them. This is a quali-quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research. The instruments used were the WHOQOLBREF, the Beck Inventories (Anxiety, Hopelessness and Depression) and Zarit's Burden Scale.The research used as sample 35 family caregivers of elderly with AD, aged 53,9 ± 12,8 years old, where the majority (62,9%) are descendants of these elderlies. The evaluation of the caregivers QL, the physical domain had the highest average score (14,9 ± 2,8) and the environmental domain the lowest average score (12,7 ± 2,3). Regarding the perception of QL and health of these caregivers, the result was an average score of 13,4 ± 3,2, below the average results found for the physical domain. By linking the four domains of QL with the total score, we had a significant correlation r > 0,700 for all domains. Anxiety and depression showed significant correlation with all the four domains and the total score, while burden showed only significant correlation (r = -0,433) with the physical domain. The association of QL with the anxiety levels was significant and able to predict 42% of the variation in the caregivers QL. The association of the QL with the levels of depression was significant and able to predict 54,2% of the variation in caregivers QL. We conclude that the QL of those family caregivers decreases as anxiety, depression, hopelessness and burden increases their levels.