Aim
To determine whether a history of trauma or mental illness is associated with developing BPSD in patients with dementia.
Methods
In a prospective pilot study in a General Geriatric ward of an outer metropolitan Queensland hospital, patients with English fluency aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of dementia were recruited from 26th July 2022 to 31st January 2023. Those who refused to participate were excluded. Participants were grouped into patients with BPSD and without BPSD.
Participant’s demographics documented past medical and psychiatric history were obtained from medical records. The participants completed a questionnaire identifying history of trauma (adverse childhood experiences, sexual abuse, domestic violence, exposure to war, victim of natural disasters, life-threatening illness, violent death of a family member or close friend) or pre-existing mental illness (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder).
Results
There were 39 patients with BPSD (54% male) and 20 patients without BPSD (59% male). The mean age was 79 years in both groups. The average Pittsburgh Agitation Score in BPSD was 2.39, while no BPSD was 0.42.
History of trauma was higher in patients with BPSD compared to those without BPSD (63% vs 37%, p-value 0.536). A higher percentage of patients with BPSD had pre-existing mental illness compared to patients without BPSD (64% vs 36%, p-value 0.753).
Conclusion
The study showed a statistically non-significant trend of developing BPSD in patients with a history of trauma or pre-existing mental illness. Further research with a larger participant cohort is required.
Appendix:
|
Total number of patients invited to the study |
78 |
|
- Consented and completed questionnaire |
54 |
|
- Consented but did not complete questionnaire |
6 |
|
- Declined to participate |
18 |
|
Patients with BPSD |
37 |
|
Patients without BPSD |
17 |
Baseline characteristics
|
Patient characteristics |
Patients with BPSD |
Patients without BPSD |
|
Age, mean +/- SD |
79.90 +/- 5.97 |
79.82 +/- 7.31 |
|
Gender |
|
|
|
- Female |
17 (46.0%) |
7 (41.2%) |
|
- Male |
20 (54.0%) |
10 (58.8%) |
|
Mean score of Pittsburgh agitation scale |
2.39 |
0.42 |
|
|
Patients without BPSD |
Patients with BPSD |
p-value |
||
|
|
N |
% |
N |
% |
|
|
History of trauma |
|
|
|
|
0.536 |
|
No |
3 |
50 |
3 |
50 |
|
|
Yes |
20 |
37 |
34 |
63 |
|
|
History of pre-existing mental illness |
|
|
|
|
0.753 |
|
No |
14 |
40 |
21 |
60 |
|
|
Yes |
9 |
36 |
16 |
64 |
|