Psychotherapeutic approaches in the management of elderlies with dementia: An overview

Rakesh Kumar Tripathi & S. C. Tiwari 

Reference: Tripathi, R.K., Tiwari, S.C.  Psychotherapeutic approaches in the management of elderlies with dementia:  An overview.  Delhi Psychiatry Journal, 12(1), 31-41,2009.

 Abstract:  The population of the world in 1995 was 5.7 billion and it is expected to reach 10.8 billion by 2050.  The percentage of older people in the world population is expected to increase rapidly from 9.5 in 1995 to 20.7 in 2050 and to 30.5 in 2150.  In absolute numbers, India’s elderly population is expected to increase from 76 million in 2000 to 327 million in 2050. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in old age and burden of care will further increase as the proportion of elderly persons in the India population increases over the next 50 years.  Now, attention of mental health professionals should be focused on to plan and provide better care in the management of old age psychiatric disorders also.  From the management point of view cognitive disorders are more challenging psychiatric disorders of old age.  Dementia is one of them.  Successful management of patients with dementia requires a broad range of tasks.  These tasks help to maximize the patient’s level of functioning and to assure the safety and comfort of patients and their families in the context of living with a difficult disease.  The topic provides an overview of psychotherapeutic approaches and its effectiveness in the management of elderly dementia patients.

Key Words:  Psychotherapy, Psychosocial Intervention, Dementia, Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy

The Full Paper is published in Delhi Psychiatry Journal, 12(1), 31-41,2009.