Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as an empirically based third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy, has shown promise in enhancing well-being and functioning across diverse populations. However, in the context of caregiving, the effect size of available ACT interventions remains at best moderate, sometimes accompanied by high dropout rates, highlighting the need for more effective and feasible intervention designs.
Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a fully online ACT program designed for family caregivers of people with dementia.
Informal caregivers are the primary source of support for adults with chronic conditions and disabilities. Empirical research highlights chronic stress and other risks of adverse outcomes of caregiving. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an emerging evidenced-based practice that shows promise in improving an array of outcomes, theoretically by increasing psychological flexibility as the primary process of change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Numerous caregiver support programmes have shown promise in promoting the mental health of informal caregivers of people with dementia (PwD). However, there is still a lack of evidence-based interventions tailored to the specific needs of this population. This mixed-methods study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a blended intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for informal caregivers of PwD, leading to a better understanding of intervention refinements for future controlled trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA psychosocial intervention for spousal carers of people with dementia promoted emotional well-being through self-monitoring and personalized feedback, as demonstrated in a previous randomized controlled trial. The mechanism behind the intervention effects is thought to lie in increased awareness of, and thus, engagement in behaviours that elicit positive emotions (PA). This secondary analysis tests the assumption by investigating momentary data on activities, affect, and stress and explores the relevance of personalized feedback compared to self-monitoring only.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Daily functioning of people with cognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is usually depicted by retrospective questionnaires, which can be memory-biased and neglect fluctuations over time or contexts.
Objective: This study examines the feasibility and usability of applying the experience sampling method (ESM) in people with MCI to provide a detailed and dynamic picture of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive patterns in everyday life.
Methods: For 6 consecutive days, 21 people with MCI used an ESM app on their smartphones.
Objectives: Cognitive functioning is often impaired in mental and neurological conditions and might fluctuate throughout the day. An existing experience-sampling tool was upgraded to assess individual's cognition in everyday life. The objectives were to test the feasibility and validity of two momentary cognition tasks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Self-monitoring is crucial to raise awareness for own behaviors and emotions, and thus facilitate self-management. The composition of self-monitoring within interventions, however, varies and guidelines are currently unavailable. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of technology-based self-monitoring interventions that intend to improve health in middle-aged and older adults (>45 years).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Caring for a person with dementia can be challenging over the years. To support family carers throughout their entire caregiving career, interventions with a sustained effectivity are needed. A novel 6-week mobile health (mHealth) intervention using the experience sampling method (ESM) showed positive effects on carers' well-being over a period of 2 months after the intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Ecological momentary interventions integrated with real-life assessments using the experience sampling method (ESM) could be promising to effectively support dementia caregivers in daily life. This study reports on the effectiveness of the ESM-based intervention "Partner in Sight."
Design, Setting, Participants: A randomized controlled trial with 76 dementia caregivers was performed.
Introduction: Caregivers differ in their emotional response when facing difficult situations during the caregiving process. Individual differences in vulnerabilities and resources could play an exacerbating or buffering role in caregivers' reactivity to daily life stress. This study examines which caregiver characteristics modify emotional stress reactivity in dementia caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor animal disease events the outcomes and consequences often remain unclear or uncertain, including the expected changes in benefits (e.g. profit to firms, prices to consumers) and in costs (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging Ment Health
September 2018
Objectives: This study describes the process evaluation of the experience sampling method (ESM) intervention 'Partner in Sight' for spousal caregivers of people with dementia. The aim was to determine internal and external validity of the intervention and provide information for future implementation in clinical practice.
Method: Qualitative and quantitative data on sampling quality (recruitment and randomization, reach) and intervention quality (relevance and feasibility, adherence to protocol) were evaluated using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis.
Objective: Positive emotions and feelings of competence seem to play an important role in the well-being of caregivers of people with dementia. Both are likely to fluctuate constantly throughout the caretaking process. Unlike standard retrospective methods, momentary assessments in daily life can provide insight into these moment-to-moment fluctuations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Accurate assessment of caregiver functioning is of great importance to gain better insight into daily caregiver functioning and to prevent high levels of burden. The experience sampling methodology (ESM) is an innovative approach to assess subjective experiences and behavior within daily life. In this study, the feasibility of the ESM in spousal caregivers of people with dementia was examined, and the usability of ESM data for clinical and scientific practice was demonstrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is an urgent need for psychosocial interventions that effectively support dementia caregivers in daily life. The Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) offers the possibility to provide a more dynamic view of caregiver functioning. ESM-derived feedback may help to redirect caregivers' behavior towards situations that elicit positive emotions and to increase their feelings of competence in the caretaking process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Because of the expected increase in the number of dementia patients, the unlikelihood of a cure in the near future, and the rising cost of care, there is an increasing need for effective caregiver interventions. Internet interventions hold considerable promise for meeting the educational and support needs of informal dementia caregivers at reduced costs. The current study aims to provide an overview of the evidence for the effectiveness, feasibility, and quality of Internet interventions for informal caregivers of people with dementia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProgress on child mortality and undernutrition has seen widening inequities and a concentration of child deaths and undernutrition in the most deprived communities, threatening the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Conversely, a series of recent process and technological innovations have provided effective and efficient options to reach the most deprived populations. These trends raise the possibility that the perceived trade-off between equity and efficiency no longer applies for child health--that prioritising services for the poorest and most marginalised is now more effective and cost effective than mainstream approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Health Econ Health Policy
March 2007
Many low- and middle-income countries continue to search for better ways of financing their health systems. Common to many of these systems are problems of inadequate resource mobilisation, as well as inefficient and inequitable use of existing resources. The poor and other vulnerable groups who need healthcare the most are also the most affected by these shortcomings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvery year about 70% of neonatal deaths (almost 3 million) happen because effective yet simple interventions do not reach those most in need. Coverage of interventions is low, progress in scaling up is slow, and inequity is high, especially for skilled clinical interventions. Situations vary between and within countries, and there is no single solution to saving lives of newborn babies.
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