The effect of prolonged support group attendance on depression among family caregivers to patients with dementia

Abstract

Decreasing mortality rates and increasing life expectancy are contributing factors in the population growth of those 65 and older. This is of particular importance because research indicates as humans age the probability of developing a dementing illness also increases. The most common irreversible dementia occurring in later life is senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Family caregivers play an essential role in caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease, but the ability to cope effectively with the demands and strains of caregiving often leads to problems in caregivers' mental and physical health. As many as 80% of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients have been reported to suffer from chronic fatigue, depression, or anger. Depression, in particular, appears to be significantly more likely among caregivers of Alzheimer's patients than among other non-caregivers of the same age. In an attempt to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with caring for Alzheimer's patients, support groups have become increasingly popular. Thus, this study examined the effectiveness of support groups in alleviating depressive symptoms in the caregivers of dementia patients by comparing family caregivers that regularly attended support groups to family caregivers that do not regularly attend support groups. A total of 54 individuals participated in the study: 39%(n=21) making up the control group and 61%(n=33) the experimental group. Descriptive statistics for age, gender, number of years providing care, marital status, employment, and relationship with dementia patients were reported. The research question was answered using a paired t-test. The results indicated that those caregivers who attend support group meetings more frequently were significantly lower on depression levels than those caregivers who attended fewer meetings. Furthermore, this small exploratory study provides data which allows us to speculate about the cumulative effects of prolonged attendance in support groups.