Six-Month Follow-Up of Delirium Patients: Evaluation of Anxiety, Depression, Cognition, Functioning, and Mortality

INTRODUCTION: This study sought to monitor the anxiety and depression symptoms, cognition, functioning, and mortality of inpatients diagnosed with delirium and to compare the results with those of a control group comprised of inpatients without delirium.
METHODS: The study group consisted of 50 inpatients with delirium, while the control group comprised 50 inpatients from the same clinic who did not have delirium. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Global Assessment Scale (GAS) were used for data collection purposes.
RESULTS: The MMSE and GAS scores of the delirium group were significantly lower than those of the control group at the first assessment. In addition, the increase seen in the MMSE scores of the delirium group over time was significant. At the three- and six-month follow-up assessments, the mortality rate of the delirium group was higher than that of the control group. Moreover, the mean survival duration of the delirium group at the three- and six-month assessments was significantly shorter than that of the control group.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings showed that the delirium patients experienced deterioration in their cognition and functioning in the short term. Furthermore, the findings revealed life expectancy to be shortened in the delirium patients. To verify and extend the present findings, longitudinal studies involving larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required.