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Reducing caregiver burden: a randomized psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia
Ostwald SK, Hepburn KW, Caron W, Burns T, Mantell R.. The Gerontologist, 1999-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This 3-year randomized clinical trial tested the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary psychoeducational family group intervention in decreasing the caregivers' perceptions of the frequency and severity of behavioral problems in persons with dementia and their reactions to those problems, and in decreasing caregiver burden and depression. The intervention consisted of seven weekly, 2-hour multimedia training sessions that included education, family support, and skills training for 94 primary caregivers and their families. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for significant differences between the intervention and waiting list control groups over a 5-month period. The intervention was successful in reducing caregivers' negative reactions to disruptive behaviors and in reducing caregiver burden over time.
Key findings
- Repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for significant differences between the intervention and waiting list control groups over a 5-month period.
Why it matters
In this randomized clinical trial of 94 primary caregivers, a psychoeducational family group intervention reduced caregivers' negative reactions to disruptive behaviours and reduced caregiver burden over time. The intervention did not address treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease itself.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and 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 61 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 64 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Gerontologist) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | The Gerontologist: journal h-index 238 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized 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 | 1 / 5 | 1999 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 281 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.7 citations a year over 29 year(s) since 1999 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 21 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10396888) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 61 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 61 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 64 out of 100. |
| Total | 64 / 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
Ostwald, S. K., Hepburn, K. W., Caron, W., Burns, T., & Mantell, R. (1999). Reducing caregiver burden: a randomized psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/39.3.299
Vancouver
Ostwald SK, Hepburn KW, Caron W, Burns T, Mantell R. Reducing caregiver burden: a randomized psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia. The Gerontologist. 1999. doi:10.1093/geront/39.3.299. PMID: 10396888.
BibTeX
@article{ostwald1999-10396888,
author = {Ostwald, S. K. and Hepburn, K. W. and Caron, W. and Burns, T. and Mantell, R.},
title = {{Reducing caregiver burden: a randomized psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia}},
journal = {The Gerontologist},
year = {1999},
doi = {10.1093/geront/39.3.299},
pmid = {10396888},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/39.3.299}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
21 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.