TY - JOUR
T1 - The care needs of elderly patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
AU - Meesters, Paul D.
AU - Comijs, Hannie C.
AU - Dröes, Rose-Marie
AU - de Haan, Lieuwe
AU - Smit, Johannes H.
AU - Eikelenboom, Piet
AU - Beekman, Aartjan T. F.
AU - Stek, Max L.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Elderly patients constitute the fastest growing segment of the schizophrenia population. Still, their needs for care are poorly understood. This study aimed to gain insight into the care needs of older patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Patients, aged 60 years and older, in contact with mental health services within a Dutch psychiatric catchment area, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Needs and the extent to which these were met were assessed from the perspective of both patients and staff members. Agreement between patients and staff on the presence of needs was evaluated. In addition, the association between patient characteristics and the number of unmet needs was examined. On average, patients (N = 114, mean age: 69 years) reported 7.6 needs, of which 6.1 were met and 1.5 were unmet. Staff members reported slightly more needs, both met and unmet. Patients and staff showed consensus on the presence of most needs, but discrepancies existed in individual need areas. Psychological and social needs were unmet more often than environmental and physical needs. The number of unmet needs correlated with several patient variables, with the strongest association found for self-reported quality of life. In elderly schizophrenia patients, similar to what has been reported in younger patients, psychological and social needs appear to be under serviced. Having more unmet needs was associated with a lower perceived quality of life
AB - Elderly patients constitute the fastest growing segment of the schizophrenia population. Still, their needs for care are poorly understood. This study aimed to gain insight into the care needs of older patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Patients, aged 60 years and older, in contact with mental health services within a Dutch psychiatric catchment area, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Needs and the extent to which these were met were assessed from the perspective of both patients and staff members. Agreement between patients and staff on the presence of needs was evaluated. In addition, the association between patient characteristics and the number of unmet needs was examined. On average, patients (N = 114, mean age: 69 years) reported 7.6 needs, of which 6.1 were met and 1.5 were unmet. Staff members reported slightly more needs, both met and unmet. Patients and staff showed consensus on the presence of most needs, but discrepancies existed in individual need areas. Psychological and social needs were unmet more often than environmental and physical needs. The number of unmet needs correlated with several patient variables, with the strongest association found for self-reported quality of life. In elderly schizophrenia patients, similar to what has been reported in younger patients, psychological and social needs appear to be under serviced. Having more unmet needs was associated with a lower perceived quality of life
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2012.10.008
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2012.10.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 23343486
SN - 1064-7481
VL - 21
SP - 129
EP - 137
JO - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
IS - 2
ER -