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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 May;38(5):391-402.
doi: 10.1037/hea0000680.

Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers

Judith T Moskowitz  1 , Elaine O Cheung  1 , Karin E Snowberg  2 , Alice Verstaen  3 , Jennifer Merrilees  4 , John M Salsman  5 , Glenna A Dowling  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers

Judith T Moskowitz et al. Health Psychol. 2019 May.

Abstract

Objective: To test the effects of Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers (LEAF), a 6-week positive emotion regulation intervention, on outcomes of positive emotion, depression, anxiety, and physical health as measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®).

Method: A randomized controlled trial (N = 170) comparing LEAF (N = 86) to an emotion reporting/waitlist condition (N = 84) in dementia caregivers. LEAF was individually delivered online by trained facilitators. Participants in the control condition completed daily online emotion reports and then crossed over into the intervention condition after 6 weeks. The study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01825681) and funded by R01NR014435.

Results: Analyses of difference in change from baseline to 6 weeks demonstrated significantly greater decreases in PROMIS® depression (d = -.25; p = .02) and Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (NeuroQOL) anxiety (d = -.33; p < .01), as well as improvements in PROMIS® physical health (d = .24; p = .02) in the intervention condition compared to the emotion reporting/waitlist control. The intervention also showed greater improvements in positive emotion (d = .58; p < .01) and positive aspects of caregiving (d = .36; p < .01). Increases in positive emotion significantly mediated the effect of LEAF on depression over time.

Conclusions: This randomized controlled trial of the online-facilitated positive emotion regulation intervention in dementia caregivers demonstrated small to medium effect sizes on caregiver well-being and shows promise for remotely delivered programs to improve psychological well-being in caregivers of people with dementia and other chronic illnesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

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