%0 Journal Article
%T Use of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with dementia: is this a sign of caregiver burden?
%A Camargos
%A Einstein Francisco
%A Souza
%A Andrea Br¨ªgida
%A Nascimento
%A Aline Silva
%A Morais-e-Silva
%A Alessandra Cicari
%A Quintas
%A Juliana Lima
%A Louzada
%A Luciana Lilian
%A Medeiros-Souza
%A Patricia
%J Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
%D 2012
%I Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO
%R 10.1590/S0004-282X2012000300003
%X this study evaluated the consumption of psychotropic medications by caregivers of elderly patients with or without dementia. this was a cross-sectional study conducted at all geriatric units in bras¨ªlia, brazil, during a two-month period. structured interviews were performed with 311 caregivers of people with or without dementia and they completed questionnaires. among the caregivers, 196 (63%) were caregivers of patients with dementia and 115 (37%) were caregivers of patients without dementia. forty-four caregivers (14.1%) were taking psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines or antidepressants), and this usage was more frequent among caregivers of patients with dementia (p<0.01). twenty-two caregivers of patients with dementia (11.4%) had used sleeping pills after beginning care, compared with only five (4.3%) caregivers of patients without dementia (p<0.01). in conclusion, this study found that caregivers of patients with dementia took psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines and antidepressants) more frequently than the ones of patients without dementia.
%K psychotropic drugs
%K aged
%K caregiver
%K dementia.
%U http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0004-282X2012000300003&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en