Purpose: We examined the effectiveness of the "positive diary," in which family caregivers of people with dementia write down three good things that happened with reasons at the end of each day.Design and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, the intervention group used the "positive diary," while the control group kept a record of each meal for 4 weeks. Findings: The intervention group showed improvement on several measures of wellbeing including Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

Background This study aimed to develop and validate the Dementia Caregiver Positive Feeling Scale 21‐item version (DCPFS‐21) in Japan. Methods We selected and generated 27 items based on the preliminary 25‐item version of the DCPFS. Next, the DCPFS‐21 was developed and validated through two phases. In Phase 1, we obtained data from 147 caregivers of people with dementia by using the 27‐item version, examined the construct validity and internal consistency of the scale and then selected 21 items (DCPFS‐21). In Phase 2, we compared the scores of 30 caregivers of people with dementia on the DCPFS‐21 with the standard scales. Four weeks after the first examination, we re‐examined the intra‐rater reliability. Results In Phase 1, via factor analysis, we reduced the 27 items to 21 items (DCPFS‐21). Moreover, the DCPFS‐21 was grouped into four subscales, namely, meaning in caregiving, caregiving mastery, positive emotion on caregiving and support from others. This classification agreed with the following factors extracted from the pilot study. The DCPFS‐21 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.92). In Phase 2, the DCPFS‐21 correlated with the Caregiving Gratification Scale by 0.54 (P < 0.01). The DCPFS‐21 also showed good intra‐rater reliability (1.1: ρ = 0.62). Conclusion We developed and validated the DCPFS‐21, which measures the positive feelings of family caregivers of people with dementia, in Japan.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Most behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) scales have copyright issues and are difficult for care staff to use in daily care settings because they were primarily designed for physicians. Therefore, an easier tool for care staff is required. This study aimed to develop and validate the BPSD questionnaire 13-item version (BPSD13Q). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We obtained data from 444 people with dementia living in group homes in Japan using the BPSD plus questionnaire (BPSD + Q; 27-item version) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home version (NPI-NH). We selected appropriate items to make a short-form version of the BPSD + Q and examined the construct validity, internal consistency, and criterion-related validity of the questionnaire. <b><i>Results:</i></b> By the pilot review, research on correlations with similar items from comparable scales, and factor analysis, we reduced 27 items to 13 items (BPSD13Q). The BPSD13Q and BPSD13Q-distress (BPSD13Q-D) showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.76 and 0.80, respectively). Moreover, the BPSD13Q was positively correlated with the NPI-NH (<i>r</i> = 0.72, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and BPSD + Q (<i>r</i> = 0.95, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The BPSD13Q-D was positively correlated with the NPI-NH-caregiver distress (<i>r</i> = 0.74, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and BPSD + Q-distress (<i>r</i> = 0.96, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> We developed and validated the BPSD13Q, which is a short-form version of the BPSD + Q and is downloadable. The BPSD13Q may make BPSD evaluations easier for the care staff.