Intervention for Emotions in Caregivers of Dementia

Integrative Therapeutic Program to Regulate Expressed Emotions Among Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial: a Study Protocol

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week Caregivers Of dementia Processing Emotions (COPE) program using the integrative therapy to reduce EE (primary outcome) in family caregiver of PLwD to alleviate the caregivers' depression, improve social dynamic with the PLwD, and mitigate the perceived stress from BPSD (secondary outcomes).

A dual-modal (face-to-face and online approaches), client-customized Caregivers Of dementia Processing Emotions (COPE) program can be developed to address EE in caregivers, such as (1) reduce caregivers' EE, (2) reduce caregivers' depressive symptoms, (3) reduce the behaviorally interactive social dynamic of maladaptation (i.e., dysfunctional dyadic relationship and quality of care), and (4) improve caregivers' perceived stress from PLwD's BPSD.

Inclusion Criteria:

• with a high level of expressed emotion as indicated by a cut-off score of 35 or above on the Family Attitude Scale (Chinese version; FAS-C);(Kavanagh et al., 1997; Van Humbeeck et al., 2002; Yu et al., 2016)
• provides care at least 4 hours per day;(Moon & Adams, 2013)
• consent to participate, and
• no acute psychiatric illness.

Exclusion Criteria:

• with a low level (scored lower than 35 on FAS-C) of expressed emotion
• do not provide consistent or sufficient care (fewer than 4 hours per day) to PLwD
• do not consent to participate;
• with comorbid acute psychiatric illness.