[Interventions for caregivers of stroke patients: need and effectiveness]

After discharge from hospital most stroke patients are being cared for by relatives. In the majority of cases it does mean long-term demands for relatives and often it has also an effect on their health. There is a variety of possibilities for offering support to relatives in accomplishing their tasks and thus contribute to a relief of burden. There has not yet been enough research investigating how various intervention concepts really meet the needs of the relatives and how effective the interventions reduce the burden of the caregivers. Five types of intervention concepts for supporting relatives of stroke patients can be differentiated so far: special services, training, counselling, social support through other caregivers and multi-component interventions. On the basis of 42 intervention studies an attempt is being made to give a preliminary statement about the effectiveness of intervention models. The multi-component interventions combined with psychotherapeutic strategies seem to emerge as a recommendable concept.