Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify premorbid personality, depression and disturbing behaviors to provide information for developing nursing interventions for the pre-demented and mild demented elderly living as residents of their community.
METHOD
The survey was conducted through direct interviews using a structured questionnaire in J city. Among the subjects contacted, 89 made appropriate replies to the survey.
RESULT
The subjects' disturbing behaviors were significantly related to premorbid personality and depression. The predictors to disturbing behaviors of the pre-demented elderly were sex, extroversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness. The predictors to disturbing behaviors of the mild demented elderly were agreeableness, depression, sex, conscientiousness, and extroversion.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, disturbing behaviors of pre-demented elderly and mild demented elderly are affected not only by their premorbid personality but also by their depression. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and respond to them with understanding their disturbing, behaviors in relation to their premorbid personality. In addition. it is important to maintain positive emotion in order to reduce their disturbing behaviors.

• Keywords: Dementia;Elderly;Premorbid personality;Depression;Disturbing behaviors;