Mental health in Chilean family caregivers of people living with dementia: predictors of change in depression and anxiety symptoms over time

This is one of the few longitudinal studies of family caregivers of PLWD in Latin America, being the only one that has evaluated whether unmet needs of PLWD have a negative impact on caregivers' mental health over time. It was found that the more unmet needs the PLWD have, the higher caregivers' depressive symptomatology over time. At the same time, being a woman and caring for a PLWD with impaired communication increased caregivers' anxious symptoms progressively. In consequence, it is essential to perform an ongoing screening for depressive and anxious symptomatology in caregivers, particularly in women; and, to offer comprehensive care to the PLWD-caregiver dyad, since not addressing the needs of the former or treating mental health problems of the latter could result in a progressive deterioration on the quality of life of both.