CARING FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS - A REPLICATION STUDY

The aim of this study was to replicate previous findings of positive outcomes, which had emerged from a small group program designed to provide psychosocial and emotional support for those caring for a dependent elderly person. The self-selected subjects were 57 females and 11 males, with ages ranging from 35 to 84 years. The pretest, posttest, and follow-up design permitted measurement over an 18-week period of affect balance, level of strain, and state and trait anxiety scores of the 44 treatment group subjects when compared with the wait-list control group. The results replicate the gradual improvement for treatment subjects found in the original study. The provision of effective, adequate, and economically viable health care services in an ageing society represents a challenge for researchers and practitioners alike.