Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE)

WECARE: A Personalized Intervention for Underserved Chinese American Dementia Caregivers

The purpose of this study is to test WECARE, a seven-week multimedia intervention designed to reduce psychosocial distress and provide education and support for caregivers. This study will include Chinese American family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Participants will engage with digital learning materials and supportive resources over the course of the program. The goal is to determine whether this approach improves caregiver well-being and reduces stress related to caregiving.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Caregiver Burden
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: WECARE

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 160
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. currently residing in the United States,
2. self-identify as Chinese or Chinese American and are able to read in Chinese,
3. are 21 years of age or older,
4. own a cellphone and use WeChat, and
5. provide at least 8 hours of care per week to a family member or loved one with ADRD.

Exclusion Criteria:

(1) evidence of severe cognitive impairment or mental disorders, or (2) the care recipient was receiving hospice care or had a life expectancy of fewer than six months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; Participants will first complete a baseline survey online, then subscribe to the WECARE official account on their own WeChat accounts and begin receiving the 7-week interactive and personalized program. The program content includes short video clips, pictorial messages, and audio recordings. Each week, the WECARE program is focused on a theme aimed to increase participants' caregiving mastery, enhance self-care, and improve psychosocial wellbeing. Four weeks after the intervention or 11 weeks after the baseline, participants will complete a follow-up survey online.	Behavioral: WECARE; The 7-week WECARE intervention was designed to improve caregiving skills, alleviate caregiver distress, and enhance the psychosocial well-being of dementia caregivers.
No Intervention: Control group; No intervention for the control group during the intervention period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change From Baseline in Depressive Symptoms	The baseline and follow-up differences in depressive symptoms will be assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The CES-D is a 20-item survey instrument designed to measure the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms. The total score is calculated by summing the responses to all 20 items. The total scale ranges from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms (a worse outcome). The primary analysis will calculate the difference in this total score between baseline and follow-up. adults and dementia caregivers.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change From Baseline in Caregiving Burden	The baseline and follow-up differences in caregiving burden will be assessed using the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12). The ZBI-12 is designed to measure the subjective physical, psychological, and social burden experienced by caregivers. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from "never" (0) to "nearly always" (4), The total score is calculated by summing the responses to all 12 items. The total scale ranges from 0 to 48, with higher scores indicating greater caregiving burden (a worse outcome). The primary analysis will calculate the difference in this total score between baseline and follow-up.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change From Baseline in Life Satisfaction	The baseline and follow-up differences in life satisfaction will be assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The SWLS is a 5-item survey instrument designed to measure a person's global cognitive judgments of satisfaction with their life. The total score is calculated by summing the responses to all 5 items. The total scale ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater life satisfaction (a better outcome). The primary analysis will calculate the difference in this total score between baseline and follow-up.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change From Baseline in Caregiving Mastery	The baseline and follow-up differences in caregiving mastery will be assessed using the Caregiving Mastery Scale. This 7-item survey instrument is designed to measure a caregiver's self-perception of their ability to effectively manage caregiving tasks and challenges. The total score is calculated by summing the responses to all 7 items. The total scale ranges from 0 to 28, with higher scores indicating greater caregiving mastery (a better outcome). The primary analysis will calculate the difference in this total score between baseline and follow-up.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change in Care-recipient's Problem Behaviors	The baseline and follow-up differences in care-recipient problem behaviors will be assessed using the Revised Memory and Problem Behavior Checklist (RMBPC). The RMBPC is a 24-item survey instrument designed to measure observable behavioral problems in care recipients across three subdomains: memory-related issues, depressive behaviors, and disruptive behaviors. The total score is calculated by summing the Yes (1) or No (0) responses to all 24 items. The total scale ranges from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating a higher frequency of problem behaviors (a worse outcome). The primary analysis will calculate the difference in this total score between baseline and follow-up.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)
Efficacy of Behavioral Intervention in Change From Baseline in Positive Aspect of Caregiving	The baseline and follow-up differences in caregivers' positive aspects of caregiving will be measured by Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale, a 9-item scale 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with total scores ranging from 0 to 36, with higher score indicating more positive perception of caregiving. The baseline and follow-up differences in the scores will be calculated.	Baseline, and Follow-Up at Weeks 11-12 (4 to 5 weeks after completion of the intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: George Mason University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 13, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 13, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 13, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Stress, Psychological; Behavior; Caregiver Burden
• Other Study ID Numbers: MOD00001003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No