Home › Research › Caregiving
A Skill-Based multimodal intervention for dementia caregivers: impact on burden and anxiety
D. Abdelhalim, Marwa Ahmed, Hoda Abdou Hussein, Mai Diaa Sarhan, Ola Osama Khalaf. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 2025-03-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The sample consisted predominantly of women (79% in the intervention group, 69% in the control group), with daughters forming the largest caregiver subgroup (66.6% and 52.4%, respectively). The mean age of caregivers was 39.2 ± 4.2 years. After three months, caregivers in the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in burden (ZBI median score: 24 vs. 34, p < 0.0001) and anxiety (GAD-7 mean score: 6.15 vs. 9.4, p < 0.0001) compared to the control group, however, NPI-Q scores remained unchanged. A structured psychoeducation and skill-based intervention significantly reduces caregiver burden and anxiety. Implementing such programs in Egypt could improve the well-being of caregivers and individuals with dementia.
Key findings
- The sample consisted predominantly of women (79% in the intervention group, 69% in the control group), with daughters forming the largest caregiver subgroup (66.6% and 52.4%, respectively).
- The mean age of caregivers was 39.2 ± 4.2 years.
- After three months, caregivers in the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in burden (ZBI median score: 24 vs. 34, p < 0.0001) and anxiety (GAD-7 mean score: 6.15 vs. 9.4, p < 0.0001) compared to the control group, however, NPI-Q scores remained unchanged.
- A structured psychoeducation and skill-based intervention significantly reduces caregiver burden and anxiety.
- Implementing such programs in Egypt could improve the well-being of caregivers and individuals with dementia.
Why it matters
In this randomized controlled trial, a structured psychoeducation and skill-based intervention significantly reduced caregiver burden and anxiety after three months compared to the control group, but NPI-Q scores remained unchanged. It shows benefits for caregiver wellbeing, not for treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease itself.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Caregiving →
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants42
- Effect size66.6%; 52.4%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging Clinical and Experimental Research) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Aging Clinical and Experimental Research: journal h-index 125 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 42 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Ola Osama Khalaf: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Cairo University: institution h-index 575 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40095192) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1007/s40520-025-02985-x
- PubMed: 40095192
- Original source →
- Free full text: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Abdelhalim, D., Ahmed, M., Hussein, H. A., Sarhan, M. D., & Khalaf, O. O. (2025). A Skill-Based multimodal intervention for dementia caregivers: impact on burden and anxiety. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-025-02985-x
Vancouver
Abdelhalim D, Ahmed M, Hussein HA, Sarhan MD, Khalaf OO. A Skill-Based multimodal intervention for dementia caregivers: impact on burden and anxiety. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. 2025. doi:10.1007/s40520-025-02985-x. PMID: 40095192.
BibTeX
@article{abdelhalim2025-40095192,
author = {Abdelhalim, D. and Ahmed, Marwa and Hussein, Hoda Abdou and Sarhan, Mai Diaa and Khalaf, Ola Osama},
title = {{A Skill-Based multimodal intervention for dementia caregivers: impact on burden and anxiety}},
journal = {Aging Clinical and Experimental Research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1007/s40520-025-02985-x},
pmid = {40095192},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-025-02985-x}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Caregiving
Also tagged “care”
996 studies in the library carry the topic tag “care”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 996 tagged studies.