Abstract

Background

Caring for people with dementia (PWD) is stressful and poses many life challenges for the family caregivers. Interventions targeting the stress and psychological well-being of the caregivers have been proposed but the sustainable effects and efficacies of these interventions vary considerably. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be effective at reducing stress in several populations. However, limited research on the effects of MBCT in family caregivers of PWD has been conducted. This study protocol aims to examine the effects on stress reduction of a modified MBCT for family caregivers of PWD.

Methods

A prospective, single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will be adopted. A convenience sample of 100 community-dwelling family caregivers of PWD will be randomized to either the modified MBCT or the control groups. The modified MBCT group will receive a 10-week, seven-session, group-based modified MBCT whereas the control group will receive a social interaction and routine education (SIRE) on dementia care program at a frequency and timing similar to those in the intervention group. The primary outcomes (stress) and secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, burden, health-related quality of life, and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of the care recipient) will be measured immediately post-intervention (T1) and at 6-month follow-up (T2), which will be compared with the baseline (T0).

Discussion

Reducing the stress of caregiving can promote the well-being of the family caregivers and maintain their sustainability in providing daily care for their family members with dementia. MBCT is found to be effective for stress reduction in other populations, and the results of this study are able to provide us with evidence for using MBCT as a standard supportive intervention for the family caregivers of PWD.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03354819. Registered on 28 November 2017.

Details

Title
Effects on stress reduction of a modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for family caregivers of those with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Author
Kor, Patrick Pui Kin 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Liu, Justina Yat-Wa 1 ; Chien, Wai Tong 2 

1  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Centre for Gerontological Nursing, School of Nursing, Hong Kong, China (GRID:grid.16890.36) (ISNI:0000 0004 1764 6123) 
2  The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Hong Kong, China (GRID:grid.10784.3a) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0482) 
Pages
303
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Dec 2019
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
e-ISSN
17456215
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3432-2
ProQuest document ID
2795258375
Copyright
© The Author(s). 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.