Perceptions among primary caregivers about the etiology of delirium: a study from a tertiary care centre in India

Abstract

Objective: To study caregivers’ perceptions about the cause of delirium and their distress caused by symptoms of delirium. Method: Adult caregivers of patients with delirium, who gave consent, were asked about their perceptions of the cause of delirium. Patients were assessed for delirium by using the delirium rating scale–revised version (DRS-R-98). Results: The study included 72 primary caregivers of patients with delirium. About one-third of the caregivers (36.11%) attributed the symptoms of delirium to non-organic causes like supernatural beliefs, emotional stress resulting from physical illness or various social factors, attention seeking behaviour, or a result of religious disobedience. Approximately eight percent of the caregivers couldn’t give any reason for the altered mental state of the patient. Others attributed the symptoms to medical-surgical causes. Conclusion: A significant proportion of caregivers attribute delirium to non-organic causes in this context.

Key words: Delirium; Distress; Caregivers; Causality