Young- and Late-Onset Dementia: A Comparative Study of Quality of Life, Burden, and Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers

Objective: To compare the quality of life, burden, and depressive symptoms of caregivers of individuals with young-onset dementia (YOD) and late-onset dementia (LOD). Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 110 dyads of individuals with dementia and their caregivers, all living in the community, was included. The care recipients completed assessments about cognition, quality of life, and awareness of disease. Caregivers’ quality of life, resilience, depressive and anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and burden of care were assessed. Results: A significant difference was found in caregivers’ burden and depressive symptoms according to the age of onset. However, there was no difference in caregivers’ quality of life between YOD and LOD groups. In both groups, a linear regression analysis indicated that caregivers’ perspective of quality of life of care recipient and caregivers’ hopelessness were associated with their quality of life. In addition, in the LOD group, caregivers’ burden was associated with their perspective of the quality of life of care recipient, type of kinship, and presence of emotional problems. In the YOD group, caregivers’ burden was associated with duration of caregiving role, cohabitating with care recipient, and their anxiety symptoms. Caregivers’ depressive symptoms were associated with anxiety symptoms in the YOD group, whereas hopelessness was associated with caregivers’ depressive symptoms in both the groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the factors that affect quality of life, burden, and depressive symptoms of caregivers of individuals with LOD differ from those that affect the caregivers of individuals with YOD.