Effectiveness of individual counseling by professional and peer helpers for family caregivers of the elderly.
This study of the effectiveness of individual counseling for daughters and daughters-in-law (N = 87) who were the primary caregivers for frail elderly parents revealed that participants who received professional counseling demonstrated significantly better outcomes than a no-treatment control group in regard to subjective well-being, level of psychiatric symptomatology, and perceived change in aspects of the caregiver-care-receiver relationship. Participants who received peer counseling demonstrated similar gains but did not improve significantly more than did control subjects in subjective well-being. Both forms of counseling had no significant effect on caregivers' formal and informal social support networks.
Toseland
R W
RW
Ringel Institute of Gerontology, School of Social Welfare, State University of New York, Albany 12222.
Smith
G C
GC
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D011364:Professional Practice