Background and Objectives
Family caregivers of people with dementia (PWD) experience high levels of stress resulting from caregiving. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a modified of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for dementia caregiving
Research Design and Methods
113 family caregivers of PWD were randomized to either the intervention group, receiving the 7-session modified MBCT over 10 weeks with telephone follow-up; or the control group, receiving the brief education on dementia care and usual care. The caregiving stress(primary outcome), and various psychological outcomes of caregivers and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) in the care-recipients were assessed and compared at baseline(T0), post-intervention(T1), and at the 6-month follow-up(T2)
Results
At both T1 and T2, the intervention group had a statistically greater improvement in stress(p=0.02 and 0.03), depression(p=0.001 and 0.04), anxiety(p=0.007 and 0.03) and BPSD-related caregivers’ distress(p=0.003 and p=0.04). A significant greater improvement was also demonstrated in mental health-related QoL at T2(p=0.001) and BPSD of the care-recipients at T1(p=0.04). The increased caregivers’ level of mindfulness was significantly correlated with the improvement of various psychological outcomes at T1 and T2 with correlation coefficient -0.64 to 0.43
Discussion and Implications
The modified MBCT enhanced the level of mindfulness in the caregivers and was effective to reduce the caregivers’ stress and promote their psychological well-being over 6-month follow-up. Future research is recommended to further examine its effects on the varieties of psychological and behavioural outcomes of both caregivers and care-recipients and their dyadic relationships, as well as explore its mechanism of action in facilitating dementia caregiving
The aim of this study was to explore the acceptability, feasibility and usability of older people with mild dementia to use smartphone for wayfinding. Thirty cognitively normal older people and 16 people with mild dementia were recruited to participate in a wayfinding trial in the free-living environment. Five feasibility and three acceptability markers were compared between the groups. Content analysis on the video-recorded trial processes and individual interviews was employed to identify the usability issues. The results found that there were no significant between-group differences on the feasibility markers, except that the people with mild dementia needed significantly more time to complete the wayfinding trial and workshop; or on the acceptability items. Sensory/cognitive impairment and GPS signal reliability affected their usability. Mild dementia does not limit the older people to use smartphones for wayfinding in the free-living environment. Future studies should examine the efficacy and safety of smartphone to promote outdoor independence of the people with mild dementia.
PurposeA deluge of fake news and misinformation about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) on the Internet poses challenges for the public in their search for reliable and relevant health information for taking protective measures, especially among people with chronic diseases (PWCD). This study aimed to (a) understand the satisfaction level of the online information related to COVID‐19 in people with and without chronic diseases; (b) explore information‐searching behavior and digital health literacy in PWCD; and (3) identify the possible predictors of information satisfaction among PWCD.MethodsThis was a multicity, cross‐sectional study using an online survey with a convenience sample of people who (a) were 15 years of age or older and (b) had access to the Internet in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.FindingsFour thousand four hundred and seventy‐two subjects completed the survey, of whom less than 50% felt satisfied with the online information. About 20% of respondents (n = 882) were diagnosed with at least one chronic disease and reported a lower level of information satisfaction (p = .003) than the people without chronic diseases. The majority of the PWCD obtained their online health information from social media. Higher digital health literacy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 5.07), higher frequency of searches regarding symptoms of COVID‐19 (adjusted OR = 2.07), higher perceived importance of quickly learning from the information searched (adjusted OR = 1.63), and lower frequency of searches on the topic of dealing with psychological stress (adjusted OR = 0.54) were found to be predictors of information satisfaction among PWCD.ConclusionsThe majority of PWCD sought online information related to COVID‐19 from social media, and their level of information satisfaction was significantly lower than among people without chronic diseases. Digital health literacy is a strong and significant predictor of information satisfaction.Clinical RelevanceTo support PWCD, we not only have to provide them with clear and accurate information, but also promote their digital health literacy so that they may seek, understand, and appraise health information from the Internet to make appropriate health‐related judgments and decisions.
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