Natural course of neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing home patients with mental-physical multimorbidity in the first eight months after admission

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of the patient sample (N = 71).

Characteristic	% (n)
Age, y^a	69.3 (SD 10.5)
Sex (% female)	56.3% (40)
Country of origin
The Netherlands	94.4% (67)
Marital status
Unmarried	32.4% (23)
Married	19.7% (14)
Divorced	21.1% (15)
Widow(er)	26.8% (19)
Level of education^b
Low	31.4% (22)
Medium	55.7% (39)
High	12.9% (9)
Residence prior to admission to the GP-NH unit
Psychiatric hospital	46.5% (33)
Nursing home	23.9% (17)
Care home	14.1% (10)
Home	7.0% (5)
Other	8.5% (6)
Number of chronic medical disorders^a	6.8 (SD 2.7)
Number of chronic psychiatric disorders^a	2.2 (SD 0.9)

^a Mean, SD.

^b 1 missing.

Table 2. Frequency parameters of clinically relevant NPS (FxS ≥4) in patients with complete follow-up (N = 63) on individual items and identified clusters; prevalence rates on total group level; incidence and persistence on subgroup level.

	Point Prevalence at baseline	Point Prevalence at baseline + 6 months	Cumulative Prevalence	Incidence^a	Persistence^b
Individual neuropsychiatric symptoms:
Delusions	33.3% (21)	25.4% (16)	39.7% (25)	9.5% (4)	57.1% (12)
Hallucinations	11.1% (7)	11.1% (7)	17.5% (11)	7.1% (4)	42.9% (3)
Agitation	47.6% (30)	50.8% (32)	68.3% (43)	39.4% (13)	63.3% (19)
Depression	30.2% (19)	47.6% (30)	52.4% (33)	31.8% (14)	84.2% (16)
Anxiety	25.4% (16)	39.7% (25)	50.8% (32)	34.0% (16)	56.3% (9)
Euphoria	6.3% (4)	4.8% (3)	7.9% (5)	1.7% (1)	50.0% (2)
Apathy	33.3% (21)	39.7% (25)	50.8% (32)	26.2% (11)	66.7% (14)
Disinhibition	23.8% (15)	33.3% (21)	42.9% (27)	25.0% (12)	60.0% (9)
Irritability	52.4% (33)	65.1% (41)	71.4% (45)	40.0% (12)	87.9% (29)
Aberrant motor behavior	9.5% (6)	7.9% (5)	14.3% (9)	5.3% (3)	33.3% (2)
Night time disturbances	11.1% (7)	12.7% (8)	19.0% (12)	8.9% (5)	42.9% (3)
Eating changes	28.6% (18)	22.2% (14)	34.9% (22)	8.9% (4)	55.6% (10)
Neuropsychiatric symptom clusters:
Hyperactivity	61.9% (39)	73.0% (46)	81.0% (51)	50.0% (12)	87.2% (34)
Mood/apathy	57.1% (36)	66.7% (42)	79.4% (50)	51.9% (14)	77.8% (28)
Psychosis	34.9% (22)	28.6% (18)	42.9% (27)	12.2% (5)	59.1% (13)
Other neuropsychiatric symptom counts:
Any symptom	87.3% (55)	87.3% (55)	95.2% (60)	62.5% (5)	90.9% (50)
More than 3 symptoms	42.9% (27)	54.0% (34)	63.5% (40)	36.1% (13)	77.8% (21)

^a The ratio of residents with clinically relevant NPS at follow-up to residents without clinically relevant NPS at baseline.

^b The ratio of residents with clinically relevant NPS at follow-up to residents with clinically relevant NPS at baseline.

Table 3. Bivariate relationships between potential determinants and the NPI FxS difference score.

	FxS difference score NPI total (T0-T1)		FxS difference score NPI hyperactivity (T0-T1)		FxS difference score NPI mood/apathy (T0-T1)
	Pearson's r	Sig (2-tailed)	Pearson's r	Sig (2-tailed)	Spearman's rho	Sig (2-tailed)
Age	0.151	0.239	0.131	0.307	−0.069	0.589
MMSE score	−0.023	0.861	−0.040	0.759	−0.063	0.627
FAB score	−0.165	0.209	−0.287	0.026	0.018	0.890
Number of unmet needs	0.010	0.938	0.091	0.477	0.029	0.823
	Student's t	Sig (2-tailed)	Student's t	Sig (2-tailed)	Student's t	Sig (2-tailed)
Sex	0.027	0.979	−0.852	0.398	−0.193	0.848
	ANOVA F	Sig (2-tailed)	ANOVA F	Sig (2-tailed)	ANOVA F	Sig (2-tailed)
Level of education	2.583	0.084	0.298	0.743	2.424	0.097

Table 4. Proportion of patients using psychotropic drugs (N = 63).

	T0	T1
Mean number of psychotropic drugs^a	2.5 (SD 1.5)	2.4 (SD 1.5)
Antipsychotics	58.7% (37)	58.7% (37)
Anxiolytics	31.7% (20)	36.5% (23)
Hypnotics	22.2% (14)	20.6% (13)
Antidepressants	57.1% (36)	52.4% (33)
Antiepileptics^b	31.7% (20)	30.2% (19)
Anti-dementia drugs	3.2% (2)	1.6% (1)
Drugs used in addictive disorders	1.6% (1)	1.6% (1)
Psychotropics (total)	88.9% (56)	87.3% (55)

^a Mean, SD.

^b Patients with epilepsy n = 10; patients with neuropathic pain n = 1.