Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Dementia impacts 50 million globally, causing significant disability and death.
• Behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia patients affect patient and caregiver quality of life (QoL).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a formal training program on the quality of life (QoL) and caregiver burden (CB) of dementia patient caregivers.
• To assess the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions for improving caregiver well-being and knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study involving 92 primary caregivers for dementia patients.
• A 1-month online formal training program using written and videotaped materials.
• Assessment of QoL (WHOQoL-BREF) and CB (Zarit scale) before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• The training program significantly improved overall caregiver QoL (p=0.002) and reduced caregiver burden (CB) (p=0.004).
• A sub-analysis of caregivers with significant CB also showed marked improvements in QoL (psychology subdomain and total score) and CB (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Psychoeducational interventions show preliminary evidence of improving caregiver well-being and resilience.
• These interventions can equip caregivers with better knowledge, benefiting both caregivers and individuals with dementia.