Objective: To investigate whether Parkinson’s disease (PD) specialists are identifying patients with Parkinson’s psychological needs and referring them to appropriate services.

Background: A number of studies have found that People with Parkinson’s (PwP) have significant psychological needs due to anxiety and depression (1, 2). Whilst non-motor symptoms significantly affect quality of life, their diagnosis and management are often given lower priority than visible motor symptoms (3).

Method: Data form 500 PwP receiving current treatment in our catchment area of South Wales were analysed. Source data included all digital and written information from case notes. We recorded disease duration, key markers as surrogates markers of psychological need, intervention undertaken and diagnosis of PD Dementia.

Results: The patients were between the ages of 58 and 96 years. In the original encounters, clinicians undertook random screening and did not use any screening tools. 500 subjects’ information was recorded, and percentages were calculated. Clinicians noted a psychological need in 37.4% (187) of all PD patients, and of these 43.9% (82) had an intervention undertaken.

Conclusion: The findings of the study are concordant with existing literature. However, our identification of psychological need were based on routine clinical consults without the aid of a formal screening tool; screening is likely to identify a higher proportion of psychological burden in this cohort. This reinforces the need for designated psychological intervention for PwP attending clinic.

References: 1.Brown, R. G., Landau, S., Hindle, J. V., Playfer, J., Samuel, M., Wilson, K. C., … & Gibson, G. (2011). Depression and anxiety related subtypes in Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 82(7), 803-809. 2.Starkstein, S. E., Robinson, R. G., Leiguarda, R., & Preziosi, T. J. (1993). Anxiety and depression in Parkinson’s disease. Behavioural neurology, 6(3), 151-154. 3.Todorova, A., Jenner, P., & Chaudhuri, K. R. (2014). Non-motor Parkinson’s: integral to motor Parkinson’s, yet often neglected. Practical neurology, 14(5), 310-322

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/unmet-psychological-needs-of-people-with-parkinsons-disease/