Introduction: Caregiver burnout is a well-documented phenomenon. As high as 50% of caregivers have
been shown to experience significant psychological distress which can escalate to
symptoms of burnout, depression and anxiety.
1
,
2
Caregivers of geriatric patients are usually engaged full time without periods of
respite to attend to their own needs. They are often spouses, family, or friends and
may be living with the patient. This may lead to neglect of their other responsibilities,
their own health and wellness,
3
and eventually progress from distress to caregiver burnout, and to clinically significant
mental health problems. This is especially problematic in caregivers of patients with
cognitive impairments, and stroke which increase the risk of psychological distress
and poor overall health.
4
While caregiver burnout has been well-documented, there is minimal information on
effective interventions. There is some evidence showing potentially positive effects
of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
5
,
6
and mixed results when using technology-based interventions.
7
,
- Hu C.
- Kung S.
- Rummans T.A.
- Clark M.M.
- Lapid M.I.
Reducing caregiver stress with internet-based interventions: a systematic review of
open-label and randomized controlled trials.
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2015; 22 (Epub 2014 Aug 14): e194-209https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2014-002817
8
The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of implementing a short intervention
to teach distress tolerance and stress reduction based on dialectal behavioral therapy
(DBT). DBT was chosen due to its evidence-based efficacy in mindfulness, distress
tolerance and emotional regulation, as well as its practical use in the general population.
We will present the results of the potential effectiveness of this intervention.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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- Reducing caregiver stress with internet-based interventions: a systematic review of open-label and randomized controlled trials.J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2015; 22 (Epub 2014 Aug 14): e194-209https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2014-002817
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