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How effective are interventions with caregivers? An updated meta-analysis
Silvia Sörensen1, Martin Pinquart, Paul Duberstein
1Geriatrics and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY 14642-8409, USA. silvia_sorenson@urmc.rochester.edu
The Gerontologist
|June 1, 2002
Summary
Caregiver interventions effectively improve outcomes for older adults
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Family caregivers of older adults face significant challenges.
- Interventions aim to support caregivers and improve their well-being.
- Effectiveness of various interventions requires synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effectiveness of interventions for family caregivers of older adults.
- To synthesize findings from multiple caregiver intervention studies.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 78 caregiver intervention studies.
- Synthesis of effects across six outcome variables.
- Evaluation of six types of interventions.
Main Results:
- Combined interventions significantly improved caregiver burden, depression, well-being, satisfaction, ability/knowledge, and care receiver symptoms (0.14–0.41 SD units).
- Psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic interventions demonstrated consistent short-term effects.
- Intervention effectiveness varied based on moderators like intervention type, number of sessions, setting, and caregiver/care receiver characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Caregiver interventions are effective, with some showing domain-specific rather than global effects.
- Optimizing interventions can be achieved by considering intervention types and identified moderators.
- Further research can refine intervention strategies for diverse caregiver populations.