Telephone group intervention for older stroke caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the effectiveness of telephone groups for older, spousal caregivers of stroke survivors.


METHODS
The 88 caregivers were mostly white females who were 70 years old on average and who had been providing care for an average of 3 years. Participants were randomized to treatment or control conditions, followed for 6 months, and assessed for depression, burden, loneliness, stress, and competence. Treatment participants engaged in an eight-session psychoeducational telephone group.


RESULTS
Treatment participants showed decreased stress over time but were not significantly different from control participants in the amount of change in stress. Control participants showed a significant increase in burden during the study; treatment participants showed a significant increase in competence.
Hartke
Robert J
RJ
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
King
Rosemarie B
RB