title: Psychosocial telephone intervention for dementia caregivers: A randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identifying effective and accessible interventions for dementia caregivers is critical as dementia prevalence increases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Examine the effects of a telephone-based intervention on caregiver well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty distressed, family, dementia caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caregivers randomized to receive 16 telephone contacts over 6 months of either the Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking-Caregiver (FITT-C) or Telephone Support (TS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary outcome variables were family caregivers' depressive symptoms, burden, and reactions to care recipients' behavior problems at 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FITT-C intervention resulted in significantly improved caregiver depressive symptoms (P = .003; 27% net improvement) and less severe reactions to care-recipient depressive behaviors (P = .009; 29% net improvement) compared with the control condition (TS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An entirely telephone-based intervention improves caregivers' depressive symptoms and reactions to behavior problems in the care recipient and is comparable with reported results of face-to-face interventions.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: gtremont@lifespan.org.
authors: Geoffrey
authors: G
authors: Tremont
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Jennifer D
authors: JD
authors: Davis
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Sciences Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: George D
authors: GD
authors: Papandonatos
authors: Department of Neurology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Neurology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Brian R
authors: BR
authors: Ott
authors: Department of Medicine, UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
authors: Richard H
authors: RH
authors: Fortinsky
authors: Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Gozalo
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Sciences Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Mun Sang
authors: MS
authors: Yue
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Bryant
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Grover
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Duane S
authors: DS
authors: Bishop
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D000067250:Psychiatric Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Burden; Caregiving; Dementia; Depression; Intervention