Tele-Mindfulness for Dementia's Family Caregivers: a Randomized Trial with a Usual Care Control Group

Caring for a family member with dementia is associated with chronic stress which can have negative effects on caregivers’ mental and physical health. Mindfulness-based interventions have been proposed to improve psychological outcomes in caregivers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of live online mindfulness (tele-MBCT) program for caregivers of people with dementia. 26 family caregivers were randomly assigned to a tele-MBCT intervention or control group. Intervention participants attended eight weekly live online training and practiced at home. All participants completed surveys at baseline, post-intervention and 4-week follow-up. Majority of participants completed the study. Intervention group reported high satisfaction with the intervention and the online delivery method. Pre-Post improvement in self-compassion and coping strategies in the intervention group were noted. Tele-MBCT is a feasible intervention and may improve psychological outcomes and adaptive coping in dementia’s family caregivers. A larger controlled trial is warranted.M.Sc