ArticleEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2018
Behavioural and psychological symptoms in general hospital patients with dementia, distress for nursing staff and complications in care: results of the General Hospital Study.
Article in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 61 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Reducing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) for Acutely-Ill Persons With Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias Via Patient Engagement Specialists
Reducing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) for Acutely-Ill Persons With Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias Via Patient Engagement Specialists
Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 129 citations in OpenAlex.
- Distinct trajectories of emotional distress and physical health among informal dementia caregivers surrounding bereavement: a systematic review.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Behavioural and psychological symptoms of people with dementia in acute hospital settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Age and ageing · 2025Pooled it
- Technological interventions in European dementia care: a systematic review of acceptance and attitudes among people living with dementia, caregivers, and healthcare workers.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- State of the Science: Apathy As a Model for Investigating Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2018Pooled it
- Trial
- Impact of a Psychoeducation on Caregiver Burden, Internalized Stigma, Anxiety, and Coping in Caregivers of Children With Epilepsy: A Randomized Pilot Study.Nursing & health sciences · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Pain Incidence, Treatment, and Associated Symptoms in Hospitalized Persons with Dementia.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses · 2021Trial
- Brexpiprazole for the Treatment of Agitation Associated with Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Perspectives.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Article
- Case series: Potential use of guanfacine for safer management of behavioral disturbances in patients with dementia.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025Article
- A pre and post evaluation of the communication and interaction training programme for professionals in dementia care.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2025Article
- A hospital-based special care unit for dementia decreased hospital readmission rates for behaviour while reducing rates of falls and occupational violence across medical wards.Age and ageing · 2025Article
- Article
- Workload-Related Issues among Nurses Caring for Patients with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and adverse patient outcomes post-hospitalization.Aging & mental health · 2024Article
- Development and psychometric testing of the nursing practice difficulty scale for nurses caring for patients with dementia in general hospitals.International journal of nursing sciences · 2024Article
- Carers' experiences and perspectives of the use of anticholinergic medications in people living with dementia: Analysis of an online discussion forum.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
- Facilitators and barriers to implementing a specialized care unit for persons with cognitive impairment in an acute geriatric hospital: a process evaluation.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Associations Between Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Inflammation in Neurodegenerative Dementia: A Systematic Review.Journal of inflammation research · 2024Review
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsLittle is known about how behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) manifest in the general hospital. The aim was to examine the frequency of BPSD in general hospitals and their associations with nursing staff distress and complications in care.
methodsCross-sectional representative study with 1469 patients aged ≥65, including 270 patients with dementia, of 33 randomly selected general hospitals in Germany. BPSD and complications were reported by nurses.
resultsOverall frequency of BPSD was higher in patients with dementia (76%) than without (38%). The most frequent symptoms in patients with dementia were nighttime disturbances (38%), depression (29%) and aberrant motor behaviour (28%) and the most distressing symptoms for nursing staff were delusions, aggression and nighttime disturbances. The overall frequency of BPSD increased from 67% in mild dementia, to 76% in moderate dementia and to 88% in severe dementia. The most frequent symptoms in patients without dementia were depression (19%), nighttime disturbances (13%) and irritability (13%). The most distressing symptoms were aggression and delusions, while the same symptoms were consistently rated as less distressing than in patients with dementia. Factor analysis revealed three independent groups of BPSD that explained 45% of the total variance. First, expansive symptoms (aggression, irritability, nighttime disturbances, aberrant motor behaviour and disinhibition) were frequent, distressing for nursing staff and associated with many complications. Second, psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) were infrequent, distressing and associated with some complications. Third, affective symptoms (apathy, anxiety and depression) were frequent, non-distressing and associated with few complications. The results did not change when cases with delirium were excluded from both groups.
conclusionsBPSD are common in older hospital patients with dementia and associated with considerable distress in nursing staff, as well as a wide range of special treatments needs and additional behavioural and medical complications. Management strategies are needed to improve the situation for both patients and hospital staff.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.