Acta Scientific Medical Sciences (ASMS)(ISSN: 2582-0931)

Research Article Volume 6 Issue 6

Coping Strategies and Distress in Patients and Caregivers Dealing with Neurocognitive Disorders

Maria Devita1*, Erika Ruffino1, Pasquale Anselmi2, Daniela Mapelli1, Michela Sarlo3, Giuseppe Sergi4 and Alessandra Coin4

1Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy
2Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology - FISSPA, University of Padua, Italy
3Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies - DISCUI, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy
4Geriatrics Division, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, Italy

*Corresponding Author: Maria Devita, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy.

Received: March 03, 2022; Published: May 16, 2022

Abstract

Background and Aims: Quality of life (QoL) is described as the individual’s perception of life in relation to the cultural context and value system in which they live, and their objectives, expectations and interests. The aim of the present study is to investigate the perceptions of QoL on the part of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or mild dementia and on the part of their caregivers, by examining how they are influenced by factors such as anosognosia, coping strategies, perceived stress and caregiver burden.

Methods: QoL was assessed in a sample of 30 patients with MCI or mild dementia and their caregivers using the QoL-AD. Other variables were measured with the AQ-D, PSS-10, COPE-NVI-25 and CBI instruments. We also assessed patients' levels of cognitive impairment with the MMSE.

Results: Patients’ QoL ratings were significantly higher than those of their respective caregivers. Patients’ perceptions of QoL were predicted by their caregiver’s avoidance coping strategy (β = -0.591, p < 0.01), whereas the caregivers’ perceptions of QoL were predicted by their perceived stress levels (β = -0.567, p < 0.01), the patient’s transcendent orientation (β = -0.369, p < 0.05) and the caregiver's positive attitude coping strategy (β = 0.312, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study shows that perception of QoL is mostly influenced by coping strategies and perceived stress, and that caregivers’ dysfunctional coping strategies can affect patients’ perceptions of QoL. Our data also highlight the crucial role of the caregiver in the treatment of neurocognitive disorders.

Keywords: Quality of Life; Neurocognitive Disorders; Coping Strategies; Perceived Stress; Caregiver Burden

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Citation

Citation: Maria Devita., et al. “Coping Strategies and Distress in Patients and Caregivers Dealing with Neurocognitive Disorders”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 6.6 (2022): 189-197.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Maria Devita., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.




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