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Cited by 830Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNursing care and researchFamily Caregiving in Mental Illness

Helping caregivers of persons with dementia: which interventions work and how large are their effects?

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Pinquart, Martin, Sorensen, Silvia·2006·International Psychogeriatrics
DOI 10.1017/s1041610206003462
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: In recent years, many different forms of interventions for caregivers of people with dementia have been developed. However, their results have been, in part, inconclusive. METHODS: Meta-analysis was used to integrate the results of 127 intervention studies with dementia caregivers published or presented between 1982 and 2005. RESULTS: Interventions had, on average, significant but small effects on burden, depression, subjective well-being, ability/knowledge and symptoms of care recipient. Only multicomponent interventions reduced the risk for institutionalization. Psychoeducational interventions that require active participation of caregivers had the broadest effects. Effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy, support, counseling, daycare, training of care recipient, and multicomponent interventions were domain specific. The effect sizes varied by study characteristics, such as caregiver gender and year of publication. CONCLUSIONS: Because most interventions have domain-specific outcomes, clinicians must tailor interventions according to the specific needs of the individual caregivers. Although more recent interventions showed stronger effects, there is room for further improvements in interventions.

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  • Interventions that require active participation of caregivers have the greatest effect.

    “Interventions that require active participation of caregivers have the greatest effect.15”

    From Clinical effectiveness of a manual based coping strategy programme (START, STrAtegies for RelaTives) in promoting the mental health of carers of family members with dementia: pragmatic randomised controlled trial (2013) · cites this paper as [15]

    The Conclusions say that more structured, intensive interventions—especially those requiring active caregiver participation—are more effective than less structured interventions. The Discussion says active-participation psychoeducational interventions have the broadest effects, but it does not establish that participation-based interventions have the greatest effect size across all intervention types. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Multi-component psychotherapeutic interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), have proven moderately effective in targeting caregiver distress and adaptive coping.

    “Multi-component psychotherapeutic interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), have proven moderately effective in targeting caregiver distress and adaptive coping [17, 18].”

    From Feasibility and acceptability of an acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for caregivers of adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (2021) · cites this paper as [18]

    The Results report that CBT improved caregiver burden and depression, with a small-to-moderate effect on burden and a large effect on depression. But the paper treats CBT separately from multicomponent interventions; the Results say multicomponent interventions had no significant effects on most outcomes, and do not establish an improvement in adaptive coping. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Existing research on dementia carers is still largely focused on treating depression and burden, and this trend has not changed substantially since earlier systematic reviews.

    “First, the existing research on dementia carers is still largely focused on treating depression and burden and this trend has not changed substantially since earlier systematic reviews (Gallagher-Thompson and Coon, 2007; Pinquart and Sörensen, 2006).”

    From Which interventions work for dementia family carers?: an updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials of carer interventions. (2018) · cites this paper as Pinquart and Sörensen, 2006

    The Methods (Outcome measures) show that caregiver burden and depressive symptoms were measured in many of the reviewed intervention studies, supporting the claim that these were major research focuses. The paper also examines other outcomes, and neither its Introduction nor its Discussion establishes that the focus on burden and depression has remained substantially unchanged since earlier systematic reviews. Its discussion of change over time concerns intervention effects, not the topics researchers chose to study. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Pinquart and Sörensen (2006) integrated 127 carer intervention studies published between 1982 and 2005 and demonstrated that interventions had, on average, significant but small immediate effects on carer outcomes such as burden, depression, and QoL.

    “This meta-analysis integrated the results of 127 carer intervention studies published between 1982 and 2005 and demonstrated that interventions had, on average, significant but small immediate effects on carer outcomes such as burden, depression, and QoL.”

    From Which interventions work for dementia family carers?: an updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials of carer interventions. (2018) · cites this paper as Pinquart and Sörensen, 2006

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  • QoL measures have been used more frequently in psychoeducation-skill building interventions compared to the early review.

    “Second, QoL measures have been used more frequently in psychoeducation-skill building interventions compared to the early review (Pinquart and Sörensen, 2006).”

    From Which interventions work for dementia family carers?: an updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials of carer interventions. (2018) · cites this paper as Pinquart and Sörensen, 2006

    The Methods (Outcome measures; page unavailable) report that eight studies used perceived quality-of-life scales, and the Results discuss subjective well-being outcomes for interventions involving active caregiver participation. The paper does not establish that QoL measures were used more frequently in psychoeducation–skill-building interventions than in an earlier review. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Kennet, 2000, Interventions for in-home caregivers: a review of research 1990 to present, 61

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Authors
Pinquart, M., & Sorensen, S.
Affiliations
Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
ORCID
Pinquart, Martin
Venue
International Psychogeriatrics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2006-12
Volume
18
Issue
4
Pages
577-595
ISSN
1041-6102 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1017/s1041610206003462
OpenAlex
W2156427212
Semantic Scholar
dc598aa805fe13c96759fc70022c5cc76107f5b3
Cited by
827
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 54 · 2017: 62 · 2016: 76 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 62 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 38
FWCI
16.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Psychogeriatrics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (K01AG022072)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
Keywords
dementia caregivers, caregiver interventions, caregiver burden, caregiver depression, subjective well-being, multicomponent intervention, psychoeducational intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, institutionalization risk, caregiver education, caregiver support
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Combined Modality Therapy, Counseling, Depression, Female, Humans, Institutionalization, Male, Middle Aged, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Quality of Life, Respite Care, Social Support, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Caregivers, Cost of Illness, Case Management

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