Franck Pitteri1, Thierry Soulas2, Anne-Laure Essertaise3, Julie Roux4. 1. Psychomotricien, AIRPM, Laboratoire de recherche en psychomotricité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France. 2. Psychologue, Unité de neurochirurgie fonctionnelle, Hôpital Henri-Mondor, Créteil, France. 3. Psychologue, Exercice libéral, Courbevoie, France. 4. Psychomotricienne, Exercice libéral, Essonne, France.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease are at high risk of psychological and physical morbidity due to the daily caring experience. OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the impact of a psychoeducational program involving relaxation techniques on caregivers' burden and mental health status. METHODS: in this prospective study, 50 family caregivers were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: standard (CG: Control group; 12 × 90 minutes weekly sessions: psychoeducational group intervention) and experimental intervention (RG: Relaxation group; 12 × 150 minutes sessions: standard intervention + relaxation techniques). Caregivers' burden and mental health status were assessed using the Zarit burden interview (global score and three dimensions from the factor analysis of the French version: social consequences, psychological burden and feelings of guilt) and the General health questionnaire-28 at baseline, after 3 (M3) and 6-months follow-up. Inter-individual statistics and intra-individual changes were calculated. RESULTS:social consequences and psychological burden decreased in RG. The between-group analysis showed that social consequences scores at M3 improved more in RG than in CG. No change in mental health was observed. For burden and anxiety/insomnia, intra-individual analyses showed that RG intervention was beneficial for more carers than CG intervention. DISCUSSION: this study suggests that integrating relaxation techniques into psychoeducational interventions is beneficial for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease.
RCT Entities:
UNLABELLED: Family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease are at high risk of psychological and physical morbidity due to the daily caring experience. OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the impact of a psychoeducational program involving relaxation techniques on caregivers' burden and mental health status. METHODS: in this prospective study, 50 family caregivers were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: standard (CG: Control group; 12 × 90 minutes weekly sessions: psychoeducational group intervention) and experimental intervention (RG: Relaxation group; 12 × 150 minutes sessions: standard intervention + relaxation techniques). Caregivers' burden and mental health status were assessed using the Zarit burden interview (global score and three dimensions from the factor analysis of the French version: social consequences, psychological burden and feelings of guilt) and the General health questionnaire-28 at baseline, after 3 (M3) and 6-months follow-up. Inter-individual statistics and intra-individual changes were calculated. RESULTS: social consequences and psychological burden decreased in RG. The between-group analysis showed that social consequences scores at M3 improved more in RG than in CG. No change in mental health was observed. For burden and anxiety/insomnia, intra-individual analyses showed that RG intervention was beneficial for more carers than CG intervention. DISCUSSION: this study suggests that integrating relaxation techniques into psychoeducational interventions is beneficial for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease.
Authors: Joanna Szczepańska-Gieracha; Lilianna Jaworska-Burzyńska; Krystyna Boroń-Krupińska; Joanna Kowalska Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-12-08 Impact factor: 3.390