Trial of Benefit Finding in Caregivers: The Building Resources in Caregivers (BRiC) Study

University of Limerick

Status: Completed

Conditions: Quality of Life; Psychological Distress

Treatments: Behavioral: Neutral Writing Activity; Behavioral: Benefit-finding Writing Activity

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02444312

BRiC2015

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomised controlled trial that will compare the effects of a brief benefit -finding writing intervention with an active control condition on quality of life and psychological health among informal caregivers.

Full description

A double-blind, randomized controlled parallel group study design with an equal 1:1 allocation ratio will be employed. This study will compare the effect of a brief benefit finding writing intervention with a control condition among caregivers. Caregivers currently caring for people with mental and physical disabilities will be randomised into a two-week, a) a benefit writing group or b) a control writing group. Caregivers will complete self-report measures relating to their care-recipient and themselves (e.g., illness type, and sociodemographics) and psychometric measures of benefit finding (primary outcome), psychological distress and quality of life(secondary outcomes). These will be assessed via online software at baseline, immediate post-test and at 3 month follow-up. Additionally, expectations and fidelity indices will be assessed and qualitative commentary on participation experiences gathered.

Enrollment: 88 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Must be over the age of 18
• Must identify as caring for a family member, friend or relative
• Must be living in Ireland

Exclusion criteria

• If the person cared for is living in institutional care

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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88 participants in 2 patient groups

Benefit-finding Writing Activity

Experimental group

Description:

For two weeks, on six days of their choice, caregivers will be instructed to write about their thoughts and feelings in a diary/ notebook about the benefits of caring.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Benefit-finding Writing Activity

Neutral Writing activity

Active Comparator group

Description:

For two weeks, on six days of their choice, caregivers will be instructed to write about a neutral topic.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Neutral Writing Activity