A Psychosocial Intervention for Bereaved Spousal Caregivers of Persons With Dementia

A Psychosocial Intervention for Bereaved Spousal Caregivers of Persons With Dementia: Adapting the "Finding Balance" Tool

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a writing intervention (Reclaiming Yourself), intended to facilitate bereavement for spousal caregivers whose partners died with dementia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dementia; Bereavement
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: the Reclaiming Yourself tool

Detailed Description

The current research is part 3 of a multi-phase project, whose purpose was to examine the experience of bereavement for spousal caregivers to persons with dementia. Based on spouses' shared experiences and the input of experts in the field (i.e. bereavement/dementia researchers, health care providers), an existing writing intervention called the Finding Balance tool was adapted from the context of cancer bereavement to that of dementia.

The purpose of this third phase is to test this adapted writing intervention (Reclaiming Yourself) with bereaved spouses of persons with dementia. Participants will be randomly assigned into one of two groups: treatment (who will receive the tool); and control (who will not be offered the tool until a later stage). The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention will be assessed, as well as the degree to which it facilitated participants' bereavement, ability to find balance, and psychological health.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Saskatchewan
    • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7J3Z1
      • University of Saskatchewan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• bereaved for three months or longer
• were a caregiver for their spouse with advanced dementia
• English speaking
• willing and able to share their bereavement experience

Exclusion Criteria:

• those with other than a spousal relationship to the person with dementia
• spousal caregivers of persons with another terminal disease
• those bereaved less than 3 months
• those unable to provide consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control
Experimental: Writing intervention	Behavioral: the Reclaiming Yourself tool; This tool is a behavioural writing intervention, intended to facilitate bereavement for spousal caregivers of persons with dementia

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Inventory of Daily Widowed Life (IDWL)- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention	Measure of finding balance in bereavement	The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale- Revised (CESD-R)- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention	Measure of depressive symptoms	The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention
Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, Present Feelings- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention	Measure of grief	The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Semi-structured qualitative evaluation interviews	Measure of the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention	Post intervention (after 1 month)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Saskatchewan
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shelley Peacock, RN, PhD, University of Saskatchewan

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): February 3, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 4, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2018
• Last Verified: May 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 15-313