"Yes, and…": Using Improvisation to Enhance Well-Being in Family Caregivers of People with Dementia

Dementia caregiving often involves unpredictable situations, which can be difficult to navigate and stressful for caregivers. We used a non-randomized waitlist-controlled trial to pilot-test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an improv-based dementia caregiving intervention.

Caregivers attended a four-week group intervention (90 minutes/session). Caregiving self-efficacy, well-being, and communication skills were assessed before the intervention, after the intervention, and one month later. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used to examine change across time points.

Of 18 enrolled caregivers, 16 completed the intervention (88.8%), and 15 completed both follow-up assessments (93.8%). All reported high satisfaction with the intervention, citing new communication skills they learned. There was a significant improvement in caregivers' self-efficacy after the intervention (adjusted p = .013, Wilcoxon r = .74) and at follow-up (adjusted p = .029, Wilcoxon r = .68), and subjective well-being after the intervention (adjusted p = .016, Wilcoxon r = .73). No significant changes were noted in the waitlist control group.

Preliminary evidence suggests that dementia caregivers experience improved self-efficacy and well-being when they learn improv-based communication principles in a small-group setting.

Using improvisational techniques shows promising benefits to help caregivers deal with caregiving situations in the moment.