Early Occupational Therapy Intervention Programme and Coping Strategies and Burden in Caregivers of People with Sub-Acute Stroke: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Caregivers of people who have suffered a stroke experience a great burden and may use disengagement coping strategies. We studied the influence of an early occupational therapy intervention programme in the process of hospital-to-home discharge after stroke (EOTIPS) in a Spanish cohort that improved patients’ quality of life and caregivers’ burden and coping strategies. EOTIPS was delivered by a single occupational therapist. We conducted a prospective randomised controlled trial that included 60 adults who suffered a stroke, of which 91.6% had a caregiver who agreed to be involved in their care (n = 55). Evaluations assessed the caregivers’ burden and coping strategies within two weeks post-stroke and after a three-month follow-up. Statistical analyses included intent-to-treat analysis (considering dropouts as failures) and efficacy analysis, considering only end-of-treatment participants. The caregivers in the intervention group showed a significantly better evolution in the main outcome measure of burden (p = 0.019), as well as in the coping strategies of social support (p = 0.037) and social withdrawal (p ≤ 0.001), compared with the control group. EOTIPS was effective in improving the caregivers’ burden and two coping strategies, and it could be considered as an applicable tool that can minimise the risk of suffering burden.