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Introduction: The evaluation of effective interventions is still needed to prevent family caregivers of persons with dementia from becoming physically or mentally ill. However, in most existing intervention studies, primary outcomes are not well matched to the treatment goals. Method: A randomized controlled trial (N = 229) was conducted to compare a treatment group (CBT), a treated control group, and an untreated control group. In theses analyses we focused on the primary outcome measurement (GAS) as a perceived treatment success as well as treatment compliance and participants’ evaluation. Results: Results showed that 30.1% achieved complete goal attainment, 39.8% partial goal attainment, and 24.1% declared no change (overachievement 2.4%; deterioration 3.6%). Discussion: The intervention can be considered to have been successful.

Professorin für klinisch-psychologische Intervention an der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena und Leitung der Ambulanz für Forschung und Lehre. Leitung des Weiterbildungsstudiums Psychotherapie an der FSU Jena. Forschungsschwerpunkte: Psychotherapeutische Interventionen für pflegende Angehörige und für Angehörige von Menschen mit chronischen Erkrankungen, Psychotherapie im Alter, Ressourcenaktivierung in der Psychotherapie und Prävention, Tagebuchverfahren und therapeutisches Schreiben in der Psychotherapie.

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Dementia caregivers often experience loss and grief related to general caregiver burden, physical, and mental health problems. Through qualitative content analysis, this study analyzed intervention strategies applied by therapists in a randomized-controlled trial in Germany to assist caregivers in managing losses and associated emotions. Sequences from 61 therapy sessions that included interventions targeting grief, loss, and change were transcribed and analyzed. A category system was developed deductively, and the intercoder reliability was satisfactory. The identified grief intervention strategies were recognition and acceptance of loss and change,addressing future losses,normalization of grief, and redefinition of the relationship Therapists focused on identifying experienced losses, managing associated feelings, and fostering acceptance of these losses. A variety of cognitive-behavioral therapy-based techniques was applied with each strategy. The findings contribute to understanding how dementia caregivers can be supported in their experience of grief and facilitate the development of a manualized grief intervention.

The results suggest the importance of treatment-specific competencies for outcome. Future research should identify empirically what kind of therapeutic behavior is appropriate to the challenges of a specific clientele such as caregivers of people with dementia.

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