Background: Family caregivers of older adults living with dementia are known to experience higher burden levels. Methods: This empirical study conducted a sub-group analysis of burden levels of 97 family caregivers by the dementia severity of care recipients. Family caregivers were assessed before and after the 9-week Stress-Busting Program for Family CaregiversTM (SBP). Results: Family caregivers of older adults living with severe dementia had the highest baseline Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) score of 27.7 which decreased to 25.0 (p < .05); family caregivers of those living with moderate dementia had a baseline ZBI score of 24.3 which decreased to 20.4 (p < .01); and family caregivers of those living with mild dementia had the lowest baseline ZBI score of 21.0, which decreased to 18.0 (p < .01). Conclusion: The SBP intervention was associated with a 15% reduction in burden scores for family caregivers of older adults living with dementia.
Alzheimer’s Association. (2023). 2023 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 19(4), 1598–1695. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13016
3.
AntonucciT. C.AkiyamaH. (1987). An examination of sex differences in social support among older men and women. Sex Roles, 17(11-12), 737–749.
4.
BédardM.MolloyD. W.SquireL.DuboisS.LeverJ. A.O’DonnellM. (2001). The Zarit Burden Interview: A new short version and screening version. The Gerontologist, 41(5), 652–657. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/41.5.652
5.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Alzheimer's disease and healthy aging: Caregiving for a person with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/alzheimer.htm
6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Alzheimer's disease and healthy aging: For caregivers, family, and friends. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/index.htm
7.
ChengS. T.LiK. K.LosadaA.ZhangF.AuA.ThompsonL. W.Gallagher-ThompsonD. (2020). The effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 35(1), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000401
8.
FauthE. B.NovakJ. R.LevinM. E. (2022). Outcomes from a pilot online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy program for dementia family caregivers. Aging and Mental Health, 26(8), 1620–1629. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1942432
9.
FortinskyR. H.GitlinL. N.PizziL. T.PiersolC. V.GradyJ.RobisonJ. T.MolonyS.WakefieldD. (2020). Effectiveness of the care of persons with dementia in their environments intervention when embedded in a publicly funded home- and community-based service program. Innovation in Aging, 4(6), igaa053. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa053
10.
FortinskyR. H.HathawayT. J. (1990). Information and service needs among active and former family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. The Gerontologist, 30(5), 604–609. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/30.5.604
11.
GauglerJ. E.ReeseM.SauldJ. (2015). A pilot evaluation of psychosocial support for family caregivers of relatives with dementia in long-term care: The residential care transition module. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 8(4), 161–172. https://doi.org/10.3928/19404921-20150304-01
GilhoolyK. J.GilhoolyM. L.SullivanM. P.McIntyreA.WilsonL.HardingE.WoodbridgeR.CrutchS. (2016). A meta-review of stress, coping and interventions in dementia and dementia caregiving. BMC Geriatrics, 16, 106. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-016-0280-8
14.
HarrisP. A.TaylorR.ThielkeR.PayneJ.GonzalezN.CondeJ. G. (2009). Research electronic data capture (REDCap)--a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 42(2), 377–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2008.08.010
15.
HepburnK.LewisM.TornatoreJ.ShermanC. W.BremerK. L. (2007). The Savvy Caregiver program: The demonstrated effectiveness of a transportable dementia caregiver psychoeducation program. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 33(3), 30–36. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20070301-06
16.
HepburnK.NoceraJ.HigginsM.EppsF.BrewsterG. S.LindauerA.MorhardtD.ShahR.BondsK.NashR.GriffithsP. C. (2022). Results of a randomized trial testing the efficacy of Tele-Savvy, an online synchronous/asynchronous psychoeducation program for family caregivers of persons living with dementia. The Gerontologist, 62(4), 616–628. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab029
17.
HicksN. M.SellersS. L.ZhangJ.SunN.HarrisK. (2022). What matters most? Intersectional correlates of caregiver burdens. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(9), 2013–2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221100227
18.
HornillosC.CrespoM. (2012). Support groups for caregivers of Alzheimer patients: A historical review. Dementia, 11(2), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301211421258
19.
HuangW.-C.ChangM.-C.WangW.-F.JhangK.-M. (2022). A comparison of caregiver burden for different types of dementia: An 18-month retrospective cohort study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 798315. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.798315
20.
JensenM.AgbataI. N.CanavanM.McCarthyG. (2015). Effectiveness of educational interventions for informal caregivers of individuals with dementia residing in the community: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(2), 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4208
21.
JutkowitzE.KaneR. L.GauglerJ. E.MacLehoseR. F.DowdB.KuntzK. M. (2017). Societal and family lifetime cost of dementia: Implications for policy. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(10), 2169–2175. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15043
22.
KasperJ. D.FreedmanV. A.SpillmanB. C.WolffJ. L. (2015). The disproportionate impact of dementia on family and unpaid caregiving to older adults. Health Affairs, 34(10), 1642–1649. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0536
23.
KimE. K.ParkH. (2019). Factors associated with burden of family caregivers of home-dwelling elderly people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Korean Journal of Adult Nursing, 31(4), 351. https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2019.31.4.351
24.
LewisS. L.Miner WilliamsD.NovianA.EscamillaM. I.BlackwellP. H.KretzschmarJ. H.BonnerP. N. (2009). A stress busting program for family caregivers. Rehabilitation Nursing, 34(4), 151–159. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2048-7940.2009.tb00271.x
MatthewsK. A.XuW.GagliotiA. H.HoltJ. B.CroftJ. B.MackD.McGuireL. C. (2019). Racial and ethnic estimates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in the United States (2015-2060) in adults aged ≥65 years. Alzheimer's & Dementia :The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 15(1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.3063
27.
McLoughlinB. (2022). Group-based interventions for carers of people with dementia: A systematic review. Innovation in Aging, 6(3), igac011. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac011
ReedC.BelgerM.Scott AndrewsJ.Tockhorn-HeidenreichA.JonesR. W.WimoA.DodelR.HaroJ. M. (2019). Factors associated with long-term impact on informal caregivers during Alzheimer’s disease dementia progression: 36-month results from geras. International Psychogeriatrics, 32(2), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610219000425
30.
ReisbergB.FerrisS. H.de LeonM. J.CrookT. (1982). The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 139(9), 1136–1139. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.139.9.1136
31.
ShimY. S.ParkK. H.ChenC.DominguezJ. C.KangK.KimH.-J.HongZ.LinY.-T.ChuL.-W.JungS.KimS. Y. (2021). Caregiving, care burden and awareness of caregivers and patients with dementia in Asian locations: A secondary analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 21, 230. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02178-x
32.
SpillmanB. C.FreedmanV. A.KasperJ. D.WolffJ. L. (2019). Corrigendum: Change over time in caregiving networks for older adults with and without dementia. The Journals of Gerontology: Serie Bibliographique, 75(7), 1620. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz105
33.
StaggB.LarnerA. J. (2015). Zarit Burden Interview: Pragmatic study in a dedicated cognitive function clinic. Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry, 19(4), 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/pnp.390
34.
StataCorp. (2019). Stata statistical software: Release 16. StataCorp LLC.
35.
StrongeS.OverallN. C.SibleyC. G. (2019). Gender differences in the associations between relationship status, social support, and wellbeing. Journal of Family Psychology, 33(7), 819.
36.
SullivanL. M.WeinbergJ.KeaneyJ. F.Jr. (2016). Common statistical Pitfalls in basic science research. Journal of the American Heart Association, 5(10), Article e004142. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.004142
37.
WhalenK .J.BuchholzS. W. (2010). The reliability, validity, and feasbility of tools used to screen for caregiver burden: A systematic review. Journal of Advance Nursing, 66, 1683–1688. https://doi.org/10.11124/01938924-200907320-00001
WimoA.SeeherK.CataldiR.CyhlarovaE.DielemannJ. L.FrisellO.GuerchetM.JönssonL.MalahaA. K.NicholsE.PedrozaP.PrinceM.KnappM.DuaT. (2023). The worldwide costs of dementia in 2019. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 19(7), 2865–2873. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12901
ZaritS. H.OrrN. K.ZaritJ. M. (1985). The hidden victims of Alzheimer’s disease: families under stress. University Press.
43.
ZebrakK. A.CampioneJ. R. (2021). The effect of national family caregiver support program services on caregiver burden. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 40(9), 963–971. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464819901094
44.
ZhuC. W.ScarmeasN.OrnsteinK.AlbertM.BrandtJ.BlackerD.SanoM.SternY. (2015). Health-care use and cost in dementia caregivers: Longitudinal results from the Predictors Caregiver Study. Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 11(4), 444–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.12.018
