Group interventions for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caregivers in Ireland: a randomised controlled trial protocol.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction and caregiver training interventions in reducing anxiety, depression, and caregiver burden among ALS caregivers.
Results Summary
The study protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial design to assess primary outcomes (anxiety and depression symptoms) and secondary outcomes (caregiver burden and quality of life), but results are not yet available as the study is pre-results.
Population
Caregivers of patients with ALS, primarily non-paid immediate family members.
Effective Dosage
9 weekly sessions for mindfulness-based stress reduction, 6 weekly sessions for building better caregivers.
Duration
9 weeks for mindfulness intervention, 6 weeks for caregiver training, with follow-up assessments at 12 weeks post-intervention.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based stress reduction | decrease | anxiety symptoms | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #1 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction | decrease | depression symptoms | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #2 |
building better caregivers manualised group-based intervention | decrease | anxiety symptoms | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #3 |
building better caregivers manualised group-based intervention | decrease | depression symptoms | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #4 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction | decrease | caregiver burden | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #5 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction | increase | quality of life | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #6 |
building better caregivers manualised group-based intervention | decrease | caregiver burden | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #7 |
building better caregivers manualised group-based intervention | increase | quality of life | caregivers of patients with ALS | - | assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in | #8 |
INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapid and fatal motor disease marked by progressive physical impairment due to muscle weakness and wasting. It is multidimensional with many patients presenting with cognitive and/or behavioural impairment. Caregivers of patients with ALS, commonly non-paid immediate family members, often take primary responsibility for the complex care needs of patients in non-medicalised setting, and many as a consequence experience caregiver burden, anxiety, and/or depression. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomised controlled trial (RCT) will use randomisation to allocate n=75 caregivers of patients with ALS from the national ALS clinic into three groups with an equal distribution. The RCT consists of two intervention groups and a wait list control (treatment as usual [TAU]) group. The intervention arms of the trial consist of a 'mindfulness-based stress reduction' and 'building better caregivers' manualised group-based intervention, with 9 and 6 weekly sessions, respectively. The TAU group will have access to intervention at the end of the trial period. Primary outcomes are self-report questionnaires on anxiety and depression symptoms, with caregiver burden and quality of life considered secondary outcomes. Assessment will commence at baseline, immediately following the intervention period, and after a period of 12 weeks to assess the effectiveness and efficacy of participating in an intervention. Patient cognitive and behavioural data will also be considered. Means of treatment and control groups at Time 0 and 1 will be analysed using mixed model multivariate analysis of variance followed by analysis of variance, and treatment effect-sizes will be calculated. This RCT protocol is pre-results and has been registered with an international database resulting in an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number (ISRCTN53226941). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Beaumont Hospital Medical Research Ethics Committee. Results of the main trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.