Feasibility and effects of a psychotherapeutic group intervention for caregiving relatives of people with dementia

• Published in: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie 2019-11, Vol.52 (7), p.641-647
• Main Authors: Kilimann, Ingo, Braungardt, Tanja, Thiel, Franziska, Hake, Karsten, Haufe, Christiane, Schneider, Wolfgang, Teipel, Stefan J
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• ISSN: 1435-1269
• DOI: 10.1007/s00391-018-01501-3

Family caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) have a high burden and therefore are themselves at a high risk for psychiatric and somatic morbidities. Although individual psychotherapy has been shown to be a potentially effective treatment, it is rarely used by family caregivers. Possible reasons are poor accessibility and time restrictions on the side of the caregiver. To test the efficacy of a short-term and low threshold psychotherapeutic group intervention for family caregivers of PwD with respect to mental stability of the caregivers. Data from a 12-week psychotherapeutic group intervention (10 participants each in the intervention and control groups) were analyzed. Main topics of the intervention were: personal limits, dysfunctional thoughts, emotions and resource activation. Primary endpoints were an increase of perceived self-efficacy and reduction of depressive symptoms using SWE and ADS questionnaires before, directly and 3 months after the end of the intervention. A gain in perceived self-efficacy did not reach statistical significance, whereas depressive symptoms showed a statistically significant increase in the intervention group over time compared to the control group. The intervention did not reach its primary endpoints. Possible reasons are the fact that the group was highly heterogeneous with respect to dementia etiology and the low number of participants. The short duration of the intervention may have reduced the potential of the program to address all urgent needs of the participants.