A psychosocial intervention for carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia in social isolation

Introduction Growing research has shown the negative impact of social isolation on the health and psychological wellbeing of individuals with dementia and their carers. This study investigated the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention for dementia carers during a lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Twenty-three family carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia living in the community were recruited and provided with an online psychoeducation toolkit that aims to improve health literacy, management of social and behavioural symptoms in dementia, carer social engagement and coping skills. Carers were divided into "Mild" or "Moderate" groups based on the disease severity of the person with dementia they cared for. Outcome measures including distress and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms, carer self-efficacy and burden, social network, and feelings of loneliness, were assessed at baseline and two weeks later. Results Carers in the Moderate group had higher levels of distress (p = 0.001) and severity (p < 0.001) of neuropsychiatric symptoms and greater carer burden (p = 0.003) than carers in the Mild group. Following the intervention, both groups reported increased social networks (p = 0.001). In addition, carers in the Moderate group reported significantly reduced distress for neuropsychiatric symptoms (p = 0.013), enhanced carer self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts (p = 0.040), and decreased loneliness (p = 0.023). Conclusions This study demonstrated that psychosocial interventions improve outcomes for carers of individuals with dementia, particularly those caring for individuals with greater disease severity. Findings from this study will inform the development of support services that meet the evolving needs of individuals with dementia and their carers in social isolation, during and in a post-pandemic context.