Effect of Expressed Emotion Management Program on Caregivers Burdens of Patients with Dementia

Abstract

Dementia is major problem not only for people who have it, but also for their family caregivers. It is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people in all over the world. There is lack of awareness and understanding of dementia, at some level, in most countries, resulting in stigmatization, barriers to diagnosis and negative impact on family caregivers. It can no longer be neglected dementia but it should be considered a part of the public health agenda in all countries (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). Concept of EE has five dimensions or patterns which are criticism, hostility, emotional over-involvement, warmth and positive remarks. Only the first three were found to be related to high EE. Families with high and low expressed emotions were found to be differing from each other in characteristics, behaviors and patterns of family interactions (Regier, Hodgson& Gitlin, 2017). Psychiatric nurses might teach about the process of negative expressed emotion that often associates with dementia. Therefore, the psychiatric nurses also play important role in providing the family caregivers with basic information that help to deal better with the patient and reduce the negative emotion (Hunter & Miller, 2016).