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.