Cross-cultural differences in demented geropsychiatric inpatients with behavioral disturbances

Objective. Cross-cultural differences in treatment and diagnosis exist in s everal psychiatric disorders. This study examines phenomenological and trea tment differences between Caucasian and African-American patients presentin g to a geropsychiatric unit for treatment of behavioral disturbances associ ated with dementia. Methods. One hundred and forty-one Caucasian patients were compared to 56 A frican-American patients consecutively admitted to a VA geropsychiatric inp atient unit. At admission, differences in behavior disturbances between the two groups were examined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), C ohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depres sion (HAM-D), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Positive and Ne gative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS). Differences in treatment w ere assessed by comparing medication types and doses between the two groups . Results and Conclusion. Results showed that Caucasian and African-American patients with dementia and behavioral disturbances presented and responded similarly to like treatment on an inpatient geropsychiatric unit. The simil arity between the two groups may be explained by the multi-ethnic make-up o f the interdisciplinary treatment team and by the use of standardized scale s to measure symptomatology and response. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & S ons, Ltd.