Reducing Stress in Caregivers of People With Dementia in Psychiatric Care: A Proof-of-Concept Evaluation of an Emotion-Focused Group Intervention

Background Caregivers of people with dementia (CPwD) are at higher risk for psychological stress and mental health issues. Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief, four-session group intervention combining socio-medical education, mindfulness and emotion-focused support in reducing stress and improving psychological outcomes in an acute psychiatric hospital setting. Methods A within-subject waiting-period control design with repeated measures was conducted with N = 52 CPwD. Assessments were performed at baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up. Changes across phases were analyzed using subsequent contrast analyses. Results Following the intervention, perceived stress decreased significantly ( p = .038) and general functioning improved ( p = .002) at follow-up. No significant changes were found for depressive symptoms or subjective well-being. The study protocol was designed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the joint Ethics Committee of the medical faculty at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (project number 22-0995).