Efficacy and impact of spousal support groups in enhancing the well-being of caring in early onset dementia: Lessons learned from the ACE Alzheimer center Barcelona

<b>Background:</b> The group intervention aimed at caregivers of persons with dementia is regarded as an effective tool for support and education. However, these groups do not specifically cater to caregivers of individuals with spouses affected by young-onset dementia. <b>Objective:</b> To assess the effectiveness of a support and training group specifically targeted towards spouses of individuals with young onset dementia and its impact on reducing caregiver burden. <b>Participants and Methods:</b> Participants were recruited from a single memory clinic in Catalonia, Spain. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) was utilized to evaluate caregiver burden both before and after participation in the support groups and a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis approach was employed. <b>Results:</b> A total of 77 caregivers were included and assessed, comprising 45.5% females with a mean age of 55 years and 54.5% males with a mean age of 63 years. While the overall caregiver burden, as measured by the ZBI, did not exhibit a significant reduction following participation in the group sessions, a notable decrease in ZBI scores was observed among caregivers with the highest burden at baseline. Three key stages were identified throughout the sessions: (1) discussions pertaining to the type of dementia and its associated changes; (2) the provision of care and attention to spouses along with the exchange of information among participants; and (3) identification of caregivers' needs. <b>Conclusions:</b> The subgroup of caregivers of persons with young onset dementia who exhibited the highest burden at baseline derived the greatest benefit from the support groups. Various qualitative indicators.

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Publication Details

Journal
Dementia
Published
2025-04-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012251339364
Primary Topic
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Type
article
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article

Efficacy and impact of spousal support groups in enhancing the well-being of caring in early onset dementia: Lessons learned from the ACE Alzheimer center Barcelona

Liliana Vargas, Gabriel Martínez, Pilar Cañabate, Marta Marquié et al.
Dementia
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
article

Efficacy and impact of spousal support groups in enhancing the well-being of caring in early onset dementia: Lessons learned from the ACE Alzheimer center Barcelona

Liliana Vargas, Gabriel Martínez, Pilar Cañabate, Marta Marquié, Agustı́n Ruiz, Diana Maria Ariton Smera, Gemma Ortega, Sílvia Preckler, Itziar de Rojas, Maitée Rosende‐Roca, Yahveth Cantero‐Fortiz, Mario Ricciardi, Núria Lleonart, Susanna Seguer, Franco Appiani, Miren Gurrutxaga, Guitart Marina, Merçé Boada, Alba Pérez‐Cordón, Montserrat Alegret, Vanesa Pytel, Sergi Valero, Ángela Sanabria, Juan Pablo Tartari, Anna Riera, Ana Espinosa, América Morera, Mariola Moreno, Natalia Muñoz‐Wolf, Lluís Tárraga
article en

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The group intervention aimed at caregivers of persons with dementia is regarded as an effective tool for support and education. However, these groups do not specifically cater to caregivers of individuals with spouses affected by young-onset dementia. <b>Objective:</b> To assess the effectiveness of a support and training group specifically targeted towards spouses of individuals with young onset dementia and its impact on reducing caregiver burden. <b>Participants and Methods:</b> Participants were recruited from a single memory clinic in Catalonia, Spain. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) was utilized to evaluate caregiver burden both before and after participation in the support groups and a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis approach was employed. <b>Results:</b> A total of 77 caregivers were included and assessed, comprising 45.5% females with a mean age of 55 years and 54.5% males with a mean age of 63 years. While the overall caregiver burden, as measured by the ZBI, did not exhibit a significant reduction following participation in the group sessions, a notable decrease in ZBI scores was observed among caregivers with the highest burden at baseline. Three key stages were identified throughout the sessions: (1) discussions pertaining to the type of dementia and its associated changes; (2) the provision of care and attention to spouses along with the exchange of information among participants; and (3) identification of caregivers' needs. <b>Conclusions:</b> The subgroup of caregivers of persons with young onset dementia who exhibited the highest burden at baseline derived the greatest benefit from the support groups. Various qualitative indicators.

DementiaVol. 24(5)
Universidad de Antofagasta (CL), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES), Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (ES), Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 89%
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
DOISourceOpenAlex
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