The concurrent validity of the "Carers' Needs Assessment for Dementia" (CNA-D)

Objectives: The "Carers' Needs Assessment for Dementia" (CNA-D) has been developed to investigate the needs of carers of dementia patients. The aim of the present study was to examine the concur-rent validity of the CNA-D. Methods: Forty five relatives of dementia patients were enrolled for this study. To evaluate if plausible associations (i.e. indicators for concurrent validity) exist, two summary scores of the CNA-D were used: the number of moderate or serious problems among the carers and the number of interventions needed. Further the,Camberwell Assessment of Needs for the Elderly" (CANE) and the,General Health Questionnaire" (GHQ- 12) were used. Results: The numbers of carers'problems (CNA-D) were positively associated with the number of symptoms indicating anxiety disorders or depression (GHQ 12), the living situation of the patient (private household vs. nursing home) and the amount of time spent with the patient. Negative correlations were found with the extent of support the patient received from the private social network or from professional services (CANE). Similar results were yielded for the number of interventions needed (CNA-D). Conclusions: Overall, these results indicate that the concurrent validity of the CNA-D is satisfactory.