New Delhi: A new study led by UCL academics has shown that people with dementia who suffer from anxiety or depression may benefit from treatments provided on the NHS.
Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are very common in people with dementia, and previous studies have estimated that 38% of people with mild dementia are affected by the conditions.
However, the new study, published in eClinicalMedicine, is the first to assess whether talking therapy, delivered regularly within health care settings, may be helpful in relieving symptoms.
Researchers examined data from 2,515,402 people who had clinically significant anxiety or depression and completed a course of treatment through the national ‘Improving Psychological Access’ (IAPT) service in England between 2012 and 2019. IAPT is a free NHS service and provides evidence. Based treatments for the treatment of anxiety and depression, including CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), counseling and guided self-help, are accompanied by sessions delivered individually, in groups, or online.
To be counted in the study, participants must have either:
The clinical level of depressive symptoms is measured using a standard questionnaire* that considers factors such as lack of interest in doing things, issues with sleep, and feelings of low mood.
Clinical levels of anxiety based on standard measurements** that ask patients questions about how much they worry or have trouble relaxing.
To examine the outcomes for people with dementia, the researchers looked at all people who had a dementia diagnosis before starting IAPT treatment — that was 1,549 people.
They also used a control group of 1,329 people to assess whether therapy outcomes for people with dementia differed from those without dementia, selecting a group of people from the full dataset who People with dementia were similar in terms of age, gender. Severity of depression and anxiety when initiating treatment.
The researchers found that among people with dementia, the treatment proved to be clinically beneficial, and 63% of them saw a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety after IAPT. Meanwhile, about 40% have fully recovered.
By comparison, in the control group, 70% of participants saw an improvement in symptoms and 47% were cured.
Lead author, PhD candidate Georgia Bell (UCL Psychology and Linguistics), said: “Anxiety and depression are very common among people with dementia. They are extremely vulnerable and are associated with worse outcomes for both dementia and their caregivers.
This is the largest study to date to examine the results of psychological treatments in people with dementia. Our findings suggest that while people with dementia are less likely to improve or recover than those without dementia, psychological therapy offered in primary care mental health services may be beneficial for them.
“As a result, our findings support the use of IAPT for the treatment of anxiety and depression in people with dementia. We hope that this study will help to increase access and optimize referrals and outcomes for people with dementia.” There will be implications to encourage.”
Previously, there was limited evidence that talking therapy was sufficiently effective for people with dementia, but a review of the evidence led by UCL researchers confirmed their efficacy earlier this year. *** This latest study confirms that NHS treatment offerings can provide such benefit.
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Society and Wellcome.
Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Many people with dementia also have depression and anxiety, which makes it more difficult for them and their caregivers to cope with symptoms and for some people. Persistent and accessible mental health support is important after diagnosis.
“This research, funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, is the first study looking at the effectiveness of therapy for people with dementia in the real world. It showed that people with dementia experienced significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression during treatment. have shown. With therapy, even though their response was not as strong as that shown in the general population.”
This research underscores the importance of timely access to mental health support, as highlighted in our recent Left to Cope Alone report. We found that 61% of people affected with dementia currently need mental health support, and yet, in 2018, 1 million annual referrals to improve access to psychiatric therapy (IAPT) services accounted for only 0.2% of people with dementia. were taken.
“While this study did not compare types of therapy, types of dementia, or if adaptations were made for people living with the disease, it still shows an urgent need to improve real-world therapy for those living with dementia. Highlights the need – with optimization to improve its effectiveness and accessibility.”
Limitations of the Study
The researchers were unable to estimate causal relationships between receiving therapy and improvement in symptoms because the study was observational in nature and a randomized control design would be needed to establish this causality. Furthermore, while there is evidence to suggest that questionnaires to measure anxiety and depression can be legitimately completed by people with dementia, the anxiety scale used has been used in a sample of people living with dementia. has not been validated for, meaning it cannot accurately measure concern.
The researchers also could not differentiate the types of therapy given to patients during their IAPT treatment, so it is unclear whether one type of therapy may be better than another in treating anxiety and depression in people with dementia. No.
Additionally, the identities of people with dementia were based on linked records, so some of the participants in the IAPT may have been missed. And even the severity of dementia could not be accounted for at the time of psychological treatment.
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