[Features of support groups for the caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer's disease: an exploratory analysis]

Caregiver Support Groups (CSG) are one of the first and most popular caregiver interventions but their main features remain unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze and characterize the CSG used in Spain, as well as to identify their basic therapeutic principles.

semi-structured interviews were performed in the coordinators of the five CSG in the Alzheimer's Patients Relatives' Association [Asociación Nacional de Alzheimer AFAL Contigo] in Madrid (Spain).

the CSG analyzed held 90-minute fortnightly sessions coordinated by female volunteers with caregiver experience. The mean size of the groups was nine members and, although open to new members, these groups tended to be stable. The meetings were fairly unstructured and the topics arose spontaneously.

CSG work mainly through information sharing and mutual support among caregivers. Several of the coordinators' answers corresponded to therapeutic factors such as support, self-revelation and learning (but not psychological work). The coordinators seemed to manage these factors intuitively, based on their own experience. Knowledge of how CSGs work is an essential step to analyze their effects.