Interventions for caregivers of patients with dementia.

Introduction: With the aging of the population, an increasing number of people have dementia, most of whom are receiving home care. Caregivers are exposed to a variety of stressors, which may lead to feeling burdened, or to depression and anxiety. Various programs or structured interventions have been developed to prevent or lessen these negative consequences. The efficacy of these interventions is debated, mainly due to methodological differences between studies. Review studies so far have presented important discrepancies, thus perpetuating a lack of clarity regarding this important geriatric care problem. The effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent or reduce the burden and/or symptoms of anxiety and depression in informal caregivers are reviewed precisely and rigorously.

Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled studies assessing the efficacy of structured interventions on the variables of burden, depression and anxiety in informal caregivers of patients with dementia.

Results: The literature search yielded 997 references, of which 35 met the screening criteria. Of these studies, 51.4% had results that were statistically favorable to intervention. The methodology used varied widely between studies.

Conclusions: Overall, the available evidence favors the implementation of structured intervention programs, although the results are heterogeneous. Psychoeducational interventions yield better results and can be better adapted to the needs of caregivers.