Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention
Alice Verstaen,1 Judith T Moskowitz,2 Karin E Snowberg,1 Jennifer Merrilees,3 Glenna A Dowling1 1Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 2Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dove Medical Press
2018-02-01
|
| Series: | Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/life-enhancing-activities-for-family-caregivers-of-people-with-dementi-peer-reviewed-article-OAJCT |
| _version_ | 1818422595590029312 |
|---|---|
| author | Verstaen A Moskowitz JT Snowberg KE Merrilees J Dowling GA |
| author_facet | Verstaen A Moskowitz JT Snowberg KE Merrilees J Dowling GA |
| author_sort | Verstaen A |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alice Verstaen,1 Judith T Moskowitz,2 Karin E Snowberg,1 Jennifer Merrilees,3 Glenna A Dowling1 1Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 2Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 3UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Abstract: Given the increasing number of family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and the associated burden and detriments to both physical and mental health, interventions that aim to improve such outcomes are important. Studies are increasingly demonstrating the unique importance of positive emotions in coping with stress, independent from the impact of negative emotions. However, none have examined the benefits of interventions that target positive emotions for caregivers of individuals with a chronic and debilitating disease such as dementia. This paper presents the design and methods for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a positive affect skills intervention for family caregivers of PWD. The RCT is of a skills-based intervention that seeks to increase the frequency and intensity of positive affect in order to improve outcomes such as well-being, coping, and physical and mental health. The skills are delivered by trained facilitators via five one-to-one Internet video sessions with family caregivers of persons diagnosed with dementia (eg, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, unspecified). The control group is an emotion reporting/waitlist control. Follow-up assessments are conducted post-intervention and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-completion of the intervention. This study promises to be an important and needed step toward improving the lives of caregivers of PWD. Keywords: positive affect, dementia caregiving, coping, intervention, stress, RCT |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:28:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-480a3274679d460eaa15f5d34bab4f09 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1519 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:28:45Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials |
| spelling | doaj.art-480a3274679d460eaa15f5d34bab4f092022-12-21T22:59:46ZengDove Medical PressOpen Access Journal of Clinical Trials1179-15192018-02-01Volume 1011236693Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills interventionVerstaen AMoskowitz JTSnowberg KEMerrilees JDowling GAAlice Verstaen,1 Judith T Moskowitz,2 Karin E Snowberg,1 Jennifer Merrilees,3 Glenna A Dowling1 1Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 2Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 3UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Abstract: Given the increasing number of family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and the associated burden and detriments to both physical and mental health, interventions that aim to improve such outcomes are important. Studies are increasingly demonstrating the unique importance of positive emotions in coping with stress, independent from the impact of negative emotions. However, none have examined the benefits of interventions that target positive emotions for caregivers of individuals with a chronic and debilitating disease such as dementia. This paper presents the design and methods for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a positive affect skills intervention for family caregivers of PWD. The RCT is of a skills-based intervention that seeks to increase the frequency and intensity of positive affect in order to improve outcomes such as well-being, coping, and physical and mental health. The skills are delivered by trained facilitators via five one-to-one Internet video sessions with family caregivers of persons diagnosed with dementia (eg, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, unspecified). The control group is an emotion reporting/waitlist control. Follow-up assessments are conducted post-intervention and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-completion of the intervention. This study promises to be an important and needed step toward improving the lives of caregivers of PWD. Keywords: positive affect, dementia caregiving, coping, intervention, stress, RCT https://www.dovepress.com/life-enhancing-activities-for-family-caregivers-of-people-with-dementi-peer-reviewed-article-OAJCTpositive affectdementia caregivingcopingintervention |
| spellingShingle | Verstaen A Moskowitz JT Snowberg KE Merrilees J Dowling GA Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials positive affect dementia caregiving coping intervention |
| title | Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| title_full | Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| title_fullStr | Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| title_short | Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers of people with dementia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| title_sort | life enhancing activities for family caregivers of people with dementia protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a positive affect skills intervention |
| topic | positive affect dementia caregiving coping intervention |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/life-enhancing-activities-for-family-caregivers-of-people-with-dementi-peer-reviewed-article-OAJCT |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT verstaena lifeenhancingactivitiesforfamilycaregiversofpeoplewithdementiaprotocolforarandomizedcontrolledtrialofapositiveaffectskillsintervention AT moskowitzjt lifeenhancingactivitiesforfamilycaregiversofpeoplewithdementiaprotocolforarandomizedcontrolledtrialofapositiveaffectskillsintervention AT snowbergke lifeenhancingactivitiesforfamilycaregiversofpeoplewithdementiaprotocolforarandomizedcontrolledtrialofapositiveaffectskillsintervention AT merrileesj lifeenhancingactivitiesforfamilycaregiversofpeoplewithdementiaprotocolforarandomizedcontrolledtrialofapositiveaffectskillsintervention AT dowlingga lifeenhancingactivitiesforfamilycaregiversofpeoplewithdementiaprotocolforarandomizedcontrolledtrialofapositiveaffectskillsintervention |