Duelo anticipado en familiares de personas con demencia. Variables psicosociales asociadas y su impacto sobre la salud del cuidador. Una revisión de literatura

Abstract

IntroductionTaking care of a relative with dementia may be linked to negative consequences for the caregiver. One of the processes that can be experienced is anticipatory grief, that is defined as the feelings of pain and loss that appear in the caregiver before the death of the person cared for. ObjectivesThe review aimed to conceptualize anticipatory grief in this population, to study the related psychosocial variables, and to know the repercussions for the health of the caregiver. MethodA systematic search was made under the directives of PRISMA statement in the ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), and Scopus databases, including studies published in the last 10 years (2013–2023). ResultsA total of 160 articles were obtained, 15 being finally selected. It is observed that anticipatory grief is defined as an ambiguous process since it appeared before the death of the sick family member. Being a female caregiver, spouse of a family member with dementia, having a closer relationship with him and/or having an important responsibility in care, are associated with a greater chance of experiencing anticipatory grief. In relation to the person cared for, if he or she is in a severe phase of the disease, is younger, and/or presents problematic behaviours, there is also greater anticipatory grief in the family caregiver.Anticipatory grief has a significant impact on caregivers’ physical, psychological, and social health, being associated with greater burden, depressive symptomatology, and social isolation. ConclusionsAnticipatory grief turns out to be a relevant concept in the context of dementia, being necessary to include it in intervention programs for this population.