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ERIC Number: EJ765843
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0016-9013
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Assessment of the Efficacy of a Stress Management Program for Informal Caregivers of Dependent Older Adults
Lopez, Javier; Crespo, Maria; Zarit, Steven H.
Gerontologist, v47 n2 p205-214 2007
Purpose: The majority of dependent older adults receive care at home from a family member. Caregiving places enormous demands on these caregivers and the negative consequences associated with caregiving are well documented. In this study we compared the effectiveness of two active interventions to a waiting-list control condition to improve emotional well-being in family caregivers. Design and Methods: We randomized distressed caregivers (N = 91) of physically impaired older adults to one of three conditions: traditional weekly sessions, minimal-therapist-contact sessions, or a waiting-list control group. These manual-guided interventions took place over a 2-month period. Results: Caregivers in the traditional weekly sessions experienced the highest reduction in depressive and anxious symptoms. Compared with control participants, caregivers in the traditional weekly sessions had lower posttreatment levels of depression and anxiety. They had also lower levels of depression than did caregivers in the minimal-therapist-contact intervention. Implications: These data suggest that traditional weekly sessions may be effective in reducing caregiver anxiety and depression. They further suggest that traditional weekly sessions are better than no intervention, and they are also better than a minimal-therapist-contact intervention.
Gerontological Society of America. 1030 15th Street NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-842-1275; Fax: 202-842-1150; e-mail: geron@geron.org; Web site: http://www.geron.org/journals/gsapub.htm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A