Huntington's disease (HD) can affect motivation. People with HD may not wash often, keep their house clean and tidy, or eating healthy food. This loss of motivation, or apathy, can also affect the way they talk to people and how willing they are to be in social situations. There are thought to be four different subtypes of apathy. These include reduced (1) motivation for planning and organising, (2) emotional reactions, (3) thoughts and actions and (4) social interaction. It is clear from talking to patients and their families in clinic that apathy has a big impact. It is often a source of distress for the people around the patient, who are trying to support and care for them. We know from previous research, that having good social support helps people with Huntington's disease to live independently for longer. This research aims to understand the ways in which apathy can impact the levels of burden felt by caregivers of people with HD. Caregivers will be asked to take part in a single interview. They will be asked questions about caring for someone with apathy. There will also be the opportunity to share their own first-hand experiences. These interviews will be analysed for common themes using framework analysis. Attention will be given to the relationship between burden and the different types of apathy. Understanding the factors that lead to increased caregiver burden is the first step towards finding way to support caregivers of people with HD.
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Themes
Timeframe: 1 day (Outcomes will be measured once, at the time of the interview)