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Meta-Analysis Reveals Consistently Positive Effects of Dementia Caregiver Interventions on Psychological Distress
Lian L, Li E, Yu Q, Huang L, Jin Y, Bian H, Yu S, Yu M. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 2025-06-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Plain-language summary
Introduction With the global increase in dementia due to demographic aging, dementia not only affects those diagnosed but also their primary caregivers, often leading to significant caregiver burden. This study aimed to synthesize existing interventions to understand their effectiveness in reducing psychological distress - specifically anxiety, depression, and subjective well-being (SWB) - among dementia caregivers. Methods We conducted a multilevel meta-analysis of 175 studies involving 342 intervention treatments on caregivers. Interventions were categorized into various psychological outcomes. The effects of demographic characteristics on intervention effectiveness were also analyzed using multilevel meta-regression. Results Interventions generally showed a significant reduction in anxiety and depression with varied effects on SWB. Training of the care recipient showed the largest observed effect on SWB, although this estimate is based on only 10 observations and should be regarded as promising rather than definitive. CBT also produced a robust positive effect. Younger, male, and non-spousal caregivers tended to experience greater reductions in anxiety and depression compared to older, female, or spousal caregivers. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to caregiver characteristics and outcome type. While interventions broadly reduce caregiver distress, the degree of benefit varies, indicating that personalized approaches may yield the best results. We also emphasize the need for rigorous methodology (e.g., handling nonindependence and publication bias) in future caregiver intervention research.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
This is a pooled review. This meta-analysis of 175 studies found that caregiver interventions generally reduced anxiety and depression, with varied effects on subjective well-being. Its stated limit: Pooled effect sizes are not given in the abstract; broad heterogeneity of intervention types; authors flag publication bias and non-independence concerns in the underlying literature.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Lian, L., Li, E., Yu, Q., Huang, L., Jin, Y., Bian, H., et al. (2025). Meta-Analysis Reveals Consistently Positive Effects of Dementia Caregiver Interventions on Psychological Distress. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1159/000546707
Vancouver
Lian L, Li E, Yu Q, Huang L, Jin Y, Bian H, et al. Meta-Analysis Reveals Consistently Positive Effects of Dementia Caregiver Interventions on Psychological Distress. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. 2025. doi:10.1159/000546707. PMID: 40550226.
BibTeX
@article{lian2025-40550226,
author = {Lian, L. and Li, E. and Yu, Q. and Huang, L. and Jin, Y. and Bian, H. and Yu, S. and Yu, M.},
title = {{Meta-Analysis Reveals Consistently Positive Effects of Dementia Caregiver Interventions on Psychological Distress}},
journal = {Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1159/000546707},
pmid = {40550226},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000546707}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Introduction With the global increase in dementia due to demographic aging, dementia not only affects those diagnosed but also their primary caregivers, often leading to significant caregiver burden.
- Results Interventions generally showed a significant reduction in anxiety and depression with varied effects on SWB.
- Younger, male, and non-spousal caregivers tended to experience greater reductions in anxiety and depression compared to older, female, or spousal caregivers.
- Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to caregiver characteristics and outcome type.
- While interventions broadly reduce caregiver distress, the degree of benefit varies, indicating that personalized approaches may yield the best results.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis of 175 studies found that caregiver interventions generally reduced anxiety and depression, with varied effects on subjective well-being. Younger, male, and non-spousal caregivers tended to show greater reductions in anxiety and depression.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthModerate
Limitations
Pooled effect sizes are not given in the abstract; broad heterogeneity of intervention types; authors flag publication bias and non-independence concerns in the underlying literature.
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 40 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 41 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders: journal h-index 149 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” 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 | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Miao Yu: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine: institution h-index 175 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter 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 40550226) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 40 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 40 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 41 out of 100. |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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