Reducing Excess Disability in Dementia Patients

This study investigated the relationships between depressed mood and pleasant activities in patients with dementia and major depressive disorder, a cause of excess disability in patients. Four patients and their caregivers participated in a behavioral treatment program designed to improve patient depression. Caregivers were taught (1) to track patients' mood, duration and frequency of pleasant activity, (2) to increase pleasant activities for the patient and (3) to decrease behavioral disturbances that interfered with engagment in these pleasant activities. Caregivers of all patients successfully increased the frequency and duration of pleasant events, and decreased the patient's depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Further, increased frequency and duration of activity was significantly associated to decreased levels of depression in each of the patients. implications for using such methods with demented elderly patients who also present with depression, in rehabilitation settings are discussed.