[Dementia caregiver journey and motivation to participate in a psycho-educational group: an interpretative phenomenological analysis].

Unlabelled: The "Help and support for caregivers and patients program, (ASAPP) is a multidisciplinary project to better the interactions between unformal caregivers and patients living with a neurodegenerative disorder, by improving the disease understanding.

Objective: The aim of our study was to understand the trajectory, expectations and motivation of the caregivers to participate in the program.

Methods: 7 spousal caregivers participated in a semi-structural interview, whose results were analysed by means of a qualitative technique of phenomenological analysis.

Results: Three main themes emerged 1) loneliness, social isolation and emotional impact of the illness, 2) lack of time for themselves, and feelings of solitude, 3) expectations of improvement by the psychoeducational program.

Conclusion: These results highlight the importance to understand the expectations of the caregivers to tailor the intervention program according to their main needs.