Pragmatic Effectiveness of Face-to-Face Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Family Caregivers of People with Dementia

ObjectivesThe objective was to investigate the pragmatic effectiveness of face-to-face cognitive-behavioral therapy (F2F-CBT) for family caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) implemented in a routine care setting relative to usual care in a quasi-experimental study.MethodsParticipants indicating that attendance of F2F-CBT was possible were assigned to F2F-CBT (n = 49). F2F-CBT consisted of 12 sessions over 6 months. Effects were evaluated at posttest and 6-month follow-up on a variety of outcomes relative to usual care (CG; n = 134).ResultsAt posttest, F2F-CBT yielded significantly fewer symptoms of depression (d = 0.37), better emotional well-being (d = 0.64), and better coping with the care situation (d = 0.52) than CG. At 6-month follow-up, the effect on emotional well-being was retained (d = 0.44) and social relationships were rated significantly better in F2F-CBT than CG (d = 0.34).ConclusionsF2F-CBT proved to be effective in supporting family caregivers of PwD. However, only relatively few caregivers were able to regularly attend face-to-face sessions.Clinical ImplicationsCBT seems particularly suitable for supporting family caregivers of PwD in coping with the complex psychological burden. Delivery via telephone or internet could be a necessary alternative to F2F-CBT for reducing barriers to participation.