Dementia caregiver intervention research: In search of clinical significanceCitation Schulz, R. O'Brien, A., Czaja, S., Ory, M., Norris, R., Martire, L. M., Belle, S. H., Burgio, L., Gitlin, L., Coon, D., Burns, R., Gallagher-Thompson, D., & Stevens, A. (2002). Dementia caregiver intervention research: In search of clinical significance. The Gerontologist, 42(5) 589-602. Design Meta-Analysis - Review of more than 50 articles concerning "caregivers" and "dementia" or "Alzheimer's disease." Participants Family caregivers for non-institutionalized persons with dementia Outcome / Dependent Variables The measures of this review included caregiver depressive symptomatology, quality of life, social significance, and social validity. Care receiver placement was also reviewed. Procedure Results from over 50 studies (43 distinct studies) - psychosocial, environmental and behavioral interventions for caregivers and pharmacological interventions for care receivers. Outcomes Interventions show promise of achieving clinically significant outcomes in improving depressive symptoms and, to a lesser degree, in reducing anxiety, anger and hostility. 24 studies used Depressive Symptomatology as an outcome measure - changes reported ranged from .75% to 10.5%. 7 studies addressed the impact of intervention on residential care placement: 4 reported differential rates of institutionalization between treatment and control groups ranging from 12%-50%. Caregivers in treatment conditions were less likely to institutionalize care receivers 12-18 months after enrollment than caregivers in control conditions. 3 studies demonstrated delays in placement for the treatment condition from 166-300 days.
Author Schulz, R. O'Brien, A., Czaja, S., Ory, M., Norris, R., Martire, L. M., Belle, S. H., Burgio, L., Gitlin, L., Coon, D., Burns, R., Gallagher-Thompson, D., & Stevens, A. | 
