Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) significantly impacts daily functioning, necessitating support for care partners.
• Caregiver roles associated with MCI can lead to significant psychological distress, including depression and burden.
• Multidomain lifestyle interventions are crucial for improving the quality of life for individuals with MCI and their families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP) in enhancing the wellbeing of care partners for individuals with MCI.
• To assess the impact of a 12-month multidomain intervention on care partner depression, stress, burden, and empowerment.

Main Methods:

• 94 care partners of individuals with MCI participated in a 12-month program including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial interventions.
• Standardized questionnaires assessed depression (CES-D), stress (PSS), caregiver burden (ZBI-12), and empowerment at baseline and program completion.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests to determine changes in wellbeing outcomes.

Main Results:

• Care partners reported mild baseline stress, burden, and non-clinically significant depression symptoms.
• No significant changes were observed in depressive symptoms or stress levels post-intervention.
• A significant increase in caregiver burden was noted, yet it remained mild, alongside a significant increase in care partner empowerment.

Conclusions:

• The Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP) improved care partner empowerment over one year, despite a minor increase in burden.
• Multidomain lifestyle and empowerment programs show potential for positively influencing care partner wellbeing in the context of MCI.
• Further research is warranted to identify specific patient and care partner characteristics influencing intervention outcomes.