A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation
Introduction: Growing research has shown the negative impact of social isolation on the health and psychological well-being of individuals with dementia and their carers. This study investigated the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention for dementia carers during a lockdown period of the COVI...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Karger Publishers
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/535207 |
| _version_ | 1827584712587083776 |
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| author | Grace Wei Olivier Piguet Fiona Kumfor |
| author_facet | Grace Wei Olivier Piguet Fiona Kumfor |
| author_sort | Grace Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Growing research has shown the negative impact of social isolation on the health and psychological well-being of individuals with dementia and their carers. This study investigated the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention for dementia carers during a lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Twenty-three family carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia living in the community were recruited and provided with an online psychoeducation toolkit that aims to improve health literacy, management of social and behavioural symptoms in dementia, carer social engagement, and coping skills. Carers were divided into “mild” or “moderate” groups based on the disease severity of the person with dementia they cared for. Outcome measures including distress and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms, carer self-efficacy and burden, social network, and feelings of loneliness were assessed at baseline and 2 weeks later. Results: Carers in the moderate group reported higher levels of distress (p = 0.001) and severity (p < 0.001) of neuropsychiatric symptoms and greater carer burden (p = 0.003) than carers in the mild group. Following the intervention, both groups reported increased social networks (p = 0.001). In addition, carers in the moderate group reported significantly reduced distress for neuropsychiatric symptoms (p = 0.013), enhanced carer self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts (p = 0.040), and decreased loneliness (p = 0.023). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that psychosocial interventions improve outcomes for carers of individuals with dementia, particularly those caring for individuals with greater disease severity. Findings from this study will inform the development of support services that meet the evolving needs of individuals with dementia and their carers in social isolation, during and in a post-pandemic context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:35:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9a7f4b88547429292bef1ab41a7f5db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-5464 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:35:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Karger Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9a7f4b88547429292bef1ab41a7f5db2023-12-14T07:52:11ZengKarger PublishersDementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra1664-54642023-11-01131485610.1159/000535207535207A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social IsolationGrace Wei0Olivier Piguet1Fiona Kumfor2The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaThe University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaThe University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaIntroduction: Growing research has shown the negative impact of social isolation on the health and psychological well-being of individuals with dementia and their carers. This study investigated the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention for dementia carers during a lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Twenty-three family carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia living in the community were recruited and provided with an online psychoeducation toolkit that aims to improve health literacy, management of social and behavioural symptoms in dementia, carer social engagement, and coping skills. Carers were divided into “mild” or “moderate” groups based on the disease severity of the person with dementia they cared for. Outcome measures including distress and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms, carer self-efficacy and burden, social network, and feelings of loneliness were assessed at baseline and 2 weeks later. Results: Carers in the moderate group reported higher levels of distress (p = 0.001) and severity (p < 0.001) of neuropsychiatric symptoms and greater carer burden (p = 0.003) than carers in the mild group. Following the intervention, both groups reported increased social networks (p = 0.001). In addition, carers in the moderate group reported significantly reduced distress for neuropsychiatric symptoms (p = 0.013), enhanced carer self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts (p = 0.040), and decreased loneliness (p = 0.023). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that psychosocial interventions improve outcomes for carers of individuals with dementia, particularly those caring for individuals with greater disease severity. Findings from this study will inform the development of support services that meet the evolving needs of individuals with dementia and their carers in social isolation, during and in a post-pandemic context.https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/535207dementiapsychosocial interventionsocial isolationlonelinesscarerscovid-19pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Grace Wei Olivier Piguet Fiona Kumfor A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra dementia psychosocial intervention social isolation loneliness carers covid-19 pandemic |
| title | A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation |
| title_full | A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation |
| title_fullStr | A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation |
| title_short | A Psychosocial Intervention for Carers of Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia in Social Isolation |
| title_sort | psychosocial intervention for carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia in social isolation |
| topic | dementia psychosocial intervention social isolation loneliness carers covid-19 pandemic |
| url | https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/535207 |
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