New findings show asking family members for help assessing symptoms can lead to a more accurate picture of any mentalhealth issues patients might be experiencing.
, or who lived in a long-term care facility, were excluded from the study. Most caregivers in the study were children or partners of the patient.
Caregivers who reported feeling stress were more likely to overreport the symptoms or distress that the patient reported. And if a patient reported experiencing more acute symptoms, the caregiver was more likely to underreport what they thought the patient was experiencing.Clinicians should keep these discrepancies in mind when they evaluate patients, and especially those with cognitive impairments, Kroenke said.
Patients with cognitive impairments may not be able to verbalize pain or emotional distress, prompting health providers to label them as “difficult” or “unmotivated.” After his patients receive care for their mental health issues, they often are able to participate in activities of daily living and improve physically, he said.