Home › Research › Caregiving
Dementia family caregiver training: affecting beliefs about caregiving and caregiver outcomes
Hepburn KW, Tornatore J, Center B, Ostwald SW.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2001-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study tested role-training intervention as a way to help family caregivers appreciate and assume a more clinical belief set about caregiving and thereby ameliorate the adverse outcomes associated with caregiving. Results Data were analyzed from 94 caregiver/care receiver dyads with complete sets of data. Significant within-group improvements occurred with treatment group caregivers on measures of beliefs about caregiving (P = .044) and reaction to behavior (P = .001). When outcomes were compared, treatment group caregivers were significantly different (in the expected direction) from those in the control group on measures of the stress mediator, beliefs (P = .025), and key outcomes, response to behavior (P = .019), depression (P = .040), and burden (P = .051). There was a significant positive association between the strengthened mediator, the caregivers' having less-emotionally enmeshed beliefs about caregiving roles and responsibilities, and the outcome, namely improvements in burden (P = .019) and depression (P = .007). The results suggest the benefits of providing information, linkage, and role coaching to dementia family caregivers.
Key findings
- This study tested role-training intervention as a way to help family caregivers appreciate and assume a more clinical belief set about caregiving and thereby ameliorate the adverse outcomes associated with caregiving.
- Results Data were analyzed from 94 caregiver/care receiver dyads with complete sets of data.
- Significant within-group improvements occurred with treatment group caregivers on measures of beliefs about caregiving (P = .044) and reaction to behavior (P = .001).
- When outcomes were compared, treatment group caregivers were significantly different (in the expected direction) from those in the control group on measures of the stress mediator, beliefs (P = .025), and key outcomes, response to behavior (P = .019), depression (P = .040), and burden (P = .051).
- There was a significant positive association between the strengthened mediator, the caregivers' having less-emotionally enmeshed beliefs about caregiving roles and responsibilities, and the outcome, namely improvements in burden (P = .019) and depression (P = .007).
Why it matters
In 94 caregiver/care receiver dyads, a role-training intervention improved caregivers' beliefs about caregiving and their reaction to behaviour, and treatment group caregivers showed improvements in depression and burden compared with controls. The results suggest benefits of providing information, linkage, and role coaching to dementia family caregivers.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Caregiving →
Study details
- Participants16
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 57 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 16 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 299 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.1 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 17 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Sharon W. Ostwald holds only 1 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (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 11347790) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 57 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 57 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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
Hepburn, K. W., Tornatore, J., Center B, & Ostwald, S. W. (2001). Dementia family caregiver training: affecting beliefs about caregiving and caregiver outcomes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49090.x
Vancouver
Hepburn KW, Tornatore J, Center B, Ostwald SW. Dementia family caregiver training: affecting beliefs about caregiving and caregiver outcomes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2001. doi:10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49090.x. PMID: 11347790.
BibTeX
@article{hepburn2001-11347790,
author = {Hepburn, K. W. and Tornatore, J. and {Center B} and Ostwald, S. W.},
title = {{Dementia family caregiver training: affecting beliefs about caregiving and caregiver outcomes}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49090.x},
pmid = {11347790},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49090.x}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.
Later studies that cite this one
17 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
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.