(Cost)-effectiveness of family meetings on indicated prevention of anxiety and depressive symptoms and disorders of primary family caregivers of patients with dementia: design of a randomized controlled trial

Contains fulltext : 70773.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Dementia is a major public health problem with enormous costs to society and major consequences for both patients and their relatives. Family members of persons with dementia provide much of the care for older adults with dementia in the community. Caring for a demented relative is not easy and fraught with emotional strain, distress, and physical exhaustion. Family caregivers of dementia patients have an extremely high risk developing affective disorders such as major depression and anxiety disorder. Family meetings appear to be among the most powerful psychosocial interventions to reduce depression in caregivers.An American landmark study reported substantial beneficial effects of a multifaceted intervention where family meetings had a central place on depression in family caregivers as well as on delay of institutionalization of patients. These effects were not replicated in other countries yet. We perform the first trial comparing only structured family meetings with significant others versus usual care among primary family caregivers of community dwelling demented patients and measure the effectiveness on both depression and anxiety in the primary caregiver, both on disorder and symptom levels. METHODS/DESIGN: In this randomized controlled trial effectiveness as well as cost-effectiveness of family meetings is evaluated. The intervention group receives four family meetings with family and close friends of the primary family caregiver of a community dwelling patient with a clinical diagnosis of dementia. Dyads of patients and their primary caregiver are followed up to one year after baseline assessment. The main outcome measures are the incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in caregivers is measured by validated self report instruments: the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for depression and the anxiety scales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales (HADS) for anxiety. The economic evaluation is performed from a societal perspective. DISCUSSION: By evaluating the effectiveness of only structured family meetings organized in the Netherlands, this study will contribute to the existing literature about the value of psychosocial interventions for dementia caregivers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Registry ISRCTN90163486

Dynamic process of family burden in dementia caregiving: a new field for psychotherapeutic interventions

Families caring for a patient with dementia are prone to significant physical, psychological and social stress. It is now well established that the caregiver burden does not only negatively affect the caregiver's physical and mental health, but is also associated with an increase in behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia. Burden determinants include the quality of the relationship between the patient and caregiver; patient variables, such as the need to manage the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia; and also caregiver variables, such as the satisfaction of caring, demographic characteristics and societal roles. The standardised assessment of interventions for caregivers in dementia care remains a difficult task. In recent years, family interventions that focus on the process of burden itself in relation to the caregiver's subjective experience of personal growth and enrichment have been proposed. This new approach is based on the identification of tasks and challenges faced by family members throughout the different stages of the disease. In this context, brief crisis interventions transform periods of disorganisation experienced by the family into opportunities for change, whereas rehabilitation interventions developed by professional caring networks offer a continuous assessment and advice to the family. This article provides a critical review of the consequences and determinants of caregiver burden in dementia care with special reference to the emerging notion of the caregiver's subjective experience in the context of family processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract