title: Evaluation of a cognitive behavioral group intervention program for spouses of stroke patients.
abstract: This study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group program for spouses of stroke patients. The program consists of 15 bi-monthly 112h sessions. The goal of the intervention is to reduce the prevalence of mental disorders and burnout among care-giving spouses of stroke patients. The sample (stroke patients and their spouses) consisted of one intervention group (n=38 couples) and two different control conditions, those receiving informational support (n=35 couples) and those receiving standard care (n=51 couples). We used the following instruments to measure spouses' mental health and quality of life: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire. Measurements were taken before the intervention (Time 1), directly following the intervention (Time 2) and 6 months after Time 2 (Time 3). Several regression analyses allowed for examination of the short-term and long-term effects of the intervention. The spouses' participation in the intervention program was associated with significant short-term changes in care-giving spouses' quality of life and with long-term changes in their quality of life and depression. The presented multi-component intervention appears to have an immediate effect on care-giving spouses' quality of life. In contrast, the intervention-related changes in more resistant mental-health-related variables did not appear until after a latent stage in the later post-intervention phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Technical University of Berlin, FR 3-8, Franklinstrasse 28-29, D-10587, Germany. gabriele.wilz@gp.tu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilz
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barskova
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D020521:Stroke; D016896:Treatment Outcome