Structure of Personality at Intrapsychic and Interpersonal Levels and Depression of Caregivers of Patients Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease: Which Psychotherapeutic Approach?

Background: Many studies have underlined as caregiving for people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is highly stressful and has significant negative consequences. Objectives: The study of the structure of personality, can help to understand the association between depression, intrapsychic and interpersonal processes of caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients and what kind of intervention can be planned to favor the stress burden management. Methods: Case group: Caregivers (CG) (n = 75); control group, Subjects not Caregivers (nCG) (n. 104). Tests: SASB questionnaire (Structural Analysis of Interpersonal Behavior) describing intrapsychic and interpersonal processes of the structure of personality validated on the basis of DSMIV; CDQ questionnaires—depression. Results: Intrapsychic level: From the results it emerged that CGs had lower autonomy in their choices, and lower acceptance of their own feelings, and exercised greater self-control exhausting themselves toward predetermined goals, and more depression compared to the control group. They may be not able to achieve psychic equilibrium in the presence of stress: they may likely become disoriented and engage in behaviors that may be self-defeating. SASB-Cl = Autonomy (p < 0.001); SASB-Cl2-Autonomy and Love (p < 0.001), SASB-CL3-Love (p < 0.001); SASB-Cl4 Love and control (p < 0.001), SASB-CL5-Control (p = 0.015), SASB-Cl6-Control and hate (p < 0.001), SASB-Cl7-Hate (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Intrapsychic characteristics such as tendency to depression, inability to being in contact with their own feelings, excessive self-control may be linked to difficulties in facing burden of care and indicate serious difficulties to adaptation to burden condition. The knowledge of these modalities could allow to plan a psychotherapeutic and multidisciplinary intervention aimed at facing and overcoming the psychological distress of the caregiver.