title: Are psychotherapeutic effects on family caregivers of people with dementia sustainable? Two-year long-term effects of a telephone-based cognitive behavioral intervention.
abstract: Evaluation of long-term effects of an individualized short-term telephone intervention (seven sessions), based on a comprehensive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach. The study goal was to evaluate the maintenance of intervention effects regarding well-being, quality of life, and health at two years post treatment.
  
  
  
  Participants (n = 105) were (partly) randomized after baseline assessment in a two-arm study (intervention, control group/usual care). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the German version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Caregivers' physical complaints were measured with the Gießener Beschwerdebogen (GBB-24), and quality of life with the World Health Organization quality of life -BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Emotional well-being and perceived health status were assessed using thermometer scaling. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat analyses, including for those who terminated the intervention prematurely but still delivered data, using ANCOVAs.
  
  
  
  Long-term intervention effects were found for emotional well-being (p = 0.019). For the subgroup of caregivers who were still caring at home at follow-up, the intervention led to an increased health status (p = 0.023), fewer bodily complaints (global measure p= 0.014, rheumatic pain p = 0.027, heart trouble p = 0.042), and a higher quality of life (overall p = 0.044 and subscale environment p = 0.030).
  
  
  
  The short-term CBT intervention via telephone showed long-term effects two years after treatment on emotional well-being, health status, bodily complaints, and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Intervention , Friedrich Schiller University Jena , Institute of Psychology , Jena , Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Intervention , Friedrich Schiller University Jena , Institute of Psychology , Jena , Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meichsner
authors.affiliation: b Department of Methodology and Evaluation Research , University of Hildesheim , Institute of Psychology , Hildesheim , Germany.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soellner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013689:Telephone
keywords: Long-term evaluation; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); dementia; family caregiving; telephone intervention