[Stress, anxiety, and depression among caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of stress, anxiety and depression in women caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. A convenience sample of 37 women caregivers living with the patients was studied using a descriptive-correlational design. A sociodemographic questionnaire with scales measuring the variables taken into consideration were utilized. Caregivers were 60 years old, devoted to the patients 17 hours of caring per day and had only 1 hour for their personal needs. The 54, 21 and 29% of the sample had high levels respectively at the stress, anxiety and depression scale. Stress, anxiety and depression were positively correlated with caring hours, sleep problems in caregivers and behavioural disturbances of the patients; and were negatively correlated with free time and time spent out of the home. Implications for nursing care resulting from this study consists in giving more support to caregivers in order to avoid their excessive involvement in caring and in guaranteeing educational interventions to help caregivers to manage the behavioural disturbances of the patients.