Liew and Yap developed a 3-item screening instrument for caregivers of a patient with dementia. This can help to identify a caregiver who may benefit from an intervention to reduce the stress. The authors are from the Institute of Mental Health, University of Singapore, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Geriatric Education and Research Institute in Singapore.
Patient selection: caregiver of a patient with dementia
The screening instrument is based on the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).
Screening questions:
(1) Are you afraid what the future holds for your relative?
(2) Do you feel that your health has suffered because of your involvement with your relative?
(3) Do you feel that you have lost control of your life since your relative's illness?
Response
Points
never
0
rarely
1
sometimes
2
quite frequently
3
nearly always
4
total score =
= SUM(points for all 3 items)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 12
• A score >= 4 identifies a caregiver with significant burden.
Performance:
• The area under the ROC curve is 0.86.
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