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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| A systematic review of intervention studies about anxiety in caregivers of people with dementia | | Author(s) | Claudia Cooper, T B S Balamurali, Amber Selwood |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 22, no 3, March 2007 |
| Pages | pp 181-188 |
| Source | http://www.interscience.wiley.com |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Informal care ; Anxiety ; Psychiatric treatment ; Literature reviews. |
| Annotation | Anxiety has been a relatively neglected outcome measure but may require specific interventions. In a systematic review to synthesise evidence regarding interventions that reduce anxiety in caregivers, 24 studies met the authors' inclusion criteria. They rated the methodology of studies, and awarded grades of recommendation (GR) for each type of intervention according to Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines from A (highest level of evidence) to D. Anxiety level was the primary outcome measure in only one study, and no studies were predicated on a power calculation for anxiety level. There was little evidence of efficacy for any intervention. The only randomised controlled trial (RCT) to report significantly reduced anxiety involved a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and relaxation-based intervention devised specifically to treat anxiety, and there was preliminary evidence (no RCTs) that caregiver groups involving yoga and relaxation without CBT were effective. There was grade B evidence that behavioural management, exercise therapies and respite were ineffective. CBT and other therapies developed primarily to target depression did not effectively treat anxiety. Good RCTs are needed to specifically target anxiety which might include relaxation techniques. Some of the interventions focused on reducing contact with the care recipients, but caregivers may want to cope with caring. Preliminary evidence suggests strategies to to help caregivers manage caring demands may be more effective. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-070627203 A |
| Classmark | EA: P6: ENP: LP: 64A |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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