Agitation and Depression in Frail Nursing Home Elderly Patients with Dementia: Treatment Characteristics and Service Use

Authors: Bartels, SJ; Horn, S; Smout, RJ; Dums, AR; Flaherty, E; Jones, JK; Monane, M; Taler, GA; Voss, AC.

Agitation and depression are the two most common behavioral complications of dementia. Although the behavioral symptoms have received less attention than the cognitive symptoms of dementia, they have serious consequences, including caregiver stress, premature institutionalization, and compromised quality of life for patients and their families.This study suggests that dementia complicated by mixed agitation and depression is among the most clinically challenging problems in long-term care, and that effective interventions and services are needed to address the complex treatment needs of this high-risk group.Due to copyright issues, this article is only available through the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry website.