Psychoeducational Intervention Against Support Groups for Caregivers

University of Salamanca

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: Psychoeducational intervention; Behavioral: Control group; Behavioral: Support group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06870474

454

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background: To explore the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention against support groups and the usual care in caregivers. Providing care involves major changes in the lives of caregivers, with far-reaching repercussions. There is evidence that acting upon its mediator variables reduces its effects.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be carried out. The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Salamanca (USAL) in Spain. Family caregivers of people with dementia will participate in this study. The participants will be divided into three groups: the intervention group (IG), which will undergo a psychoeducational intervention programme, the support group (SG) (control group - placebo), which will undergo a support group intervention programme, and the control group-waiting lists (CG), which will only be assessed at the different measurements points, and after the end of the programme they will be offered the intervention of the experimental group. The programme (IG) will comprise eight sessions over a period of two months. All participants will be assessed at the outset and conclusion of the study, as well as after three and six months, during which time data regarding their socio-demographic characteristics and responses to the different scales will be collected. Both mediator and negative outcome variables will be assessed.

Discussion: Effective interventions need to be developed to improve the biopsychosocial state of caregivers. The presented psychoeducational intervention may help family caregivers because it could be more effective than others. The psychoeducational intervention has the aim of improving quality of life, problem-solving and social skills, leisure time, self-efficacy and social support of caregivers; and decreasing their depressive symptomology, dysfunctional thoughts, burden and stress.

Enrollment: 35 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Be the main caregiver of a family member with dementia, either as a spouse or as an offspring.
• No previous involvement in studies/programmes like this one.
• The family member lives at home (not institutionalised).

Exclusion criteria

• Not be the main caregiver of a family member with dementia, either as a spouse or as an offspring.
• Previous involvement in studies/programmes like this one.
• The family member not lives at home (the family member is institutionalised).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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35 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Psychoeducational intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The content was based on prior interventions, considering the caregivers' active involvement, adapting to their specific needs, addressing multiple areas of need, sporadic interventions over the course of the care, and the priority-based adjustment of the intensity or approach. This structure was adopted in all the sessions: 1) Review of homework, 2) Theoretical content, 3) Practical application of theoretical content, 4) Assignment of homework, and 5) Queries (see Table S1 of the supplementary material). The intervention involves eight 90-minute sessions held on a weekly basis

Treatment:

Behavioral: Psychoeducational intervention

Support group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

In the sessions, caregivers share concerns and experiences with other group members, expressing feelings and fears. There is reciprocity, as they are listened to, but at the same time information is provided, ideas, strategies and skills are shared to face daily caregiving situations. The sessions are not structured, on the contrary, the topics are proposed and developed by the caregivers and the professional has only a moderating role. The intervention involves eight 90-minute sessions held on a weekly basis.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Support group

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Caregivers were not subject to any intervention. They received the psychoeducational intervention once the study had ended.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control group