Group-based interventions for carers of people with dementia : a systematic review

Background and Objectives: It is well documented that caring for someone with dementia is associated with many negative mental health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and a reduction in quality of life. Group-based interventions are one strategy for improving well-being for carers, but previous systematic reviews have reported inconsistent findings about the efficacy of group-based interventions for carers of people with dementia. Research Design and Methods: This systematic review investigates the qualitative and quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of group-based interventions and identifies targets for future research. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse the data. Results: A comprehensive search of four databases revealed 117 potentially relevant studies, 19 of which met the full inclusion criteria. Five studies investigated group cognitive behavioural therapy, eight investigated psycho-educational interventions, and six investigated support groups. The effectiveness of the interventions varied widely, even within sub-categories. No type of intervention was consistently shown to improve well-being, though qualitative data and data about participant satisfaction was generally very positive. Discussion and Implications: Based on the quality and quantity of the evidence currently available, there is not enough evidence to reach firm conclusions about the impact of group-based interventions on well-being. In order to establish the effectiveness of group-based interventions there needs to be more high-quality studies with larger sample sizes about this topic. Future research may benefit from the use of mixed-methods data collection to explore the disparity between qualitative and quantitative findings in the literature