Contributos da psicoeducação para a redução da sobrecarga do cuidador informal de pessoas com demência: revisão integrativa da literatura

Dementia is one of the most significant public health challenges today, according to the World Health Organization, with informal caregivers playing a fundamental role in the care of individuals with this condition. Due to the burden that may arise from caregiving responsibilities, it becomes evident that support initiatives focusing on emotional, educational, and practical support are necessary. These initiatives aim to expand caregivers' knowledge about dementia and associated care, thereby preventing physical and psychological exhaustion. Through this integrative literature review, we seek to examine how implementing psychoeducation programs reduces the burden on informal caregivers of people with dementia over the past 10 years, using the PICO methodology to frame the research question. Data collection was conducted in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, SciELO, LILACS, and PubMed databases, using the keywords: "psychoeducation, caregiver, burden, dementia," as defined by the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to construct the Boolean phrase. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and six articles assessing the effectiveness of psychoeducational programs/interventions in reducing the burden on caregivers of people with dementia were analyzed. The results demonstrated that psychoeducation programs for informal caregivers of people with dementia can significantly improve their well-being, strengthen self-confidence, develop problem-solving strategies, reduce dysfunctional thoughts and feelings, alleviate social isolation, and assist caregivers in addressing their own physical and emotional needs.