EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTEGRATIVE STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PEOPLE WITH ADVANCED DEMENTIA: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL

Abstract

Family caregivers usually experience stress and sleep disturbance due to the hardship of giving care to patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia [BPSD]. Existing stress reduction interventions for caregivers of people with advanced dementia are limited. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the effectiveness of an integrative stress reduction program on stress and sleep quality of the caregivers, and BPSD of the patients. Participants who were the primary caregiver of moderate to severe dementia persons were recruited from Songphinong district, Suphan Buri province. Then, they were randomly assigned into the intervention and the control group for twenty-seven for each group. Research instruments included the Relative Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory with their reliability of 0.87, 0.82, and 0.81, respectively. Participants of the intervention participated in six 4-weekly training sessions and routine care while those in the control group received only routine care. Outcome variables were collected three times at baseline (Week 0), post-intervention (Week 4), and follow-up (Week 8). Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and two-way repeated measure ANOVA and ANCOVA.

The results revealed that after completion of the intervention, participants in the intervention group had lower stress, better sleep quality and perceived less BPSD than those in the control group. For within the intervention group, at follow-up (week 8), participants also had lower stress, better sleep quality, and perceived less BPSD than those at post-intervention (week 4), and baseline (week 0). Therefore, this integrative stress reduction program is effective in reducing stress, improve sleep quality among the family caregivers, and lessen BPSD. Nurses and relevant health care personnel should utilize this intervention as a standard practice to promote family caregivers' health in the dementia caregiving realm in long-term care services.

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