Anxiety, anxiety symptoms, and associations among older people with dementia in assisted-living facilities

Anxiety is a major cause for distress among older people with dementia, and it impedes care. In order to develop interventions to treat anxiety and identify who might be most likely to benefit, mental health nurses need to understand what clinical and demographic factors are associated with anxiety in dementia. This cross-sectional study is a detailed assessment of anxiety in people living in assisted-living facilities using the Rating Anxiety in Dementia (RAID) scale and the Clinical Anxiety Scale (CAS). One hundred and forty-eight people, with a mean age of 86.2 years, were recruited from 19 assisted-living facilities in the USA. Prevalence rates for anxiety were 11% and 18%, as measured on the RAID and CAS, respectively. One or more symptoms of anxiety were exhibited for 49% (RAID) and 48% (CAS) of participants. Behavioural symptoms and the presence of depression strongly predicted anxiety, as did staff's reaction to behavioural symptoms and their sense of competence to care. These findings demonstrate that anxiety is prominent enough to warrant further investigation and treatment, and that anxiety in older people with dementia is closely associated with staff skill. This study has also identified areas for mental health nurses to target interventions.