AUTHOR=Antoniou Rea , Toli Despoina Georgakopoulou , Lerner Hannah , Callahan Patrick , Coble Roger , Ortiz Bailey , Sideman Alissa Bernstein , Shdo Suzanne M. , Levenson Robert W. , Ferreira Nuno , Moskowitz Judith T , Rankin Katherine P. TITLE=A mindfulness-based intervention adapted to dementia caregivers: A study protocol for a randomized clinical control trial JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1062452 DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1062452 ISSN=1664-1078 ABSTRACT=

Dementia caregiving, besides encompassing various challenges in tandem to the diagnosis of the care recipient, is associated with decreased psychological well-being and mental health. Accordingly, caregivers’ wellbeing has an impact on the quality of care they provide and on the relationship quality with the person in their care. The aim of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention on relational and psychological wellbeing, tailored to the needs of dementia caregivers. This clinical trial (NCT04977245) will apply a randomized controlled mixed method design. Caregivers will be randomly allocated to either the mindfulness intervention or the active control group. The intervention arm is based on experiential learning and is targeted to promote caregivers’ well-being and empowerment. Assessments will include, standardized self-report questionnaires, task performance measures, and qualitative measures. All assessments will be held at three time points (baseline; t0, 0 months, post-intervention; t1, 2 months, and after maintenance; t2, 3 months) focused on three core domains (1. relational well-being, 2. psychological well-being, and 3. dementia patient’s lifestyle/activities). The primary outcome will be relational well-being, and data will be analyzed using linear mixed modelling.