title: Short-term and long-term effects of a psycho-educational group intervention for family caregivers in palliative home care - results from a randomized control trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family caregivers in cancer and palliative care often face heavy responsibilities and feel insufficiently prepared for the situation as caregivers. This study evaluates short-term and long-term effects of a psycho-educational group intervention aiming to increase preparedness for family caregiving in specialized palliative home care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a randomized control trial where family caregivers were allocated either to an intervention or control group. The intervention was delivered as a program including three sessions by health professionals (physician, nurse, and social worker/priest). Family caregivers from 10 specialized palliative home care settings were included. Questionnaires with validated instruments at baseline, upon completion, and 2 months following the intervention were used to measure effects of the intervention. The primary outcome was preparedness for caregiving in family caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 21 intervention programs were delivered, and 119 family caregivers completed all three measurements. The intervention group had significantly increased their preparedness for caregiving in both the short-term and long-term follow-up compared with the control group. The intervention group also reported significantly increased competence for caregiving in short-term but not long. No effects of the intervention were found on rewards for caregiving, caregiver burden, health, anxiety, or depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psycho-educational intervention has the potential to be used by health professionals to improve preparedness for caregiving among family caregivers in palliative care both in short and long terms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Palliative Research Centre and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.affiliation: Center for Collaborative Palliative Care, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristofer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Årestedt
authors.affiliation: Palliative Research Centre and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carlander
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and the Institute for Palliative Care, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carl-Johan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wengström
authors.affiliation: Palliative Research Centre and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden.|Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Öhlen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Palliative Research Centre and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden.|Capio Palliative care unit, Dalens Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvariza
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires