Objective: Caregivers of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated the impact of caring for patients with PD on the psychiatric health status of the caregivers by using the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) and described the relationship between various socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and caregiving psychological distress.

Background: Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. Because of the progressive debilitating nature and treatment complications, PD patients’ need for caregiving have essential importance. It is estimated that between 40 and 90% of patients with PD are in close contact or reside with informal caregivers. In Turkey, the vast majority of patients suffering from PD and related disorders live with their families in the community. However, provision of support by family members and/or living together with PD patient may put considerable burden on caregivers. Family caregivers are found to experience increased psychological distress due to financial, psychological, and social demands of chronically ill patients.

Methods: The study was carried out at the Marmara University Hospital, Parkinson’s disease and Movement disorders outpatient clinic. SCL-90-R self-reported questionnaire and Beck depression scale (BDS) was administered to 50 caregivers of PD patients and 50 healthy controls. 50 patients underwent motor and nonmotor psychiatric, sleep and cognitive findings by using different scales including Hoehn and Yahr scale, Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale, Schwab-England activities of daily living scale, BDS, PD sleep scale, Epworth sleepiness scale and Mini-Mental State Examination.

Results: The group of caregivers scored higher on the anxiety dimension of the SCL-90-R than the control group. There were no higher scores in other dimensions. Of 11 caregivers (22%) had a pathological score in the global severity index. Patient’s age and scores of sleep scales significantly predicted caregiving psychological distress in interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, psychoticism and obsessive–compulsive symptoms, anxiety, depression, additional items dimensions, respectively. Other disease severity and clinical findings don’t affect significantly caregiving psychological distress.

Conclusions: The study suggests that caregivers of PD have higher anxiety level in psychological distress. PD patients sleep symptoms influence distress levels in caregivers of patients with PD. 

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/psychological-distress-among-caregivers-of-parkinsons-patients-assessed-with-the-scl-90-r-self-reported-questionnaire/