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The effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Cheng ST, Li KK, Losada A, Zhang F, Au A, Thompson LW, Gallagher-Thompson D.. Psychology and aging, 2020-02-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effects of 131 randomized controlled trials, published between 2006 and mid-2018, for dementia caregivers with community-dwelling care-recipients. A new classification of interventions was proposed to enable a more detailed examination of the effectiveness of psychological interventions; 350 postintervention effect sizes in 128 studies and 155 follow-up effect sizes in 55 studies were computed. Postintervention effects were significant for all outcomes when all interventions are pooled together. Follow-up effects were found for all outcomes, except physical health and positive aspects of caregiving. Educational programs with psychotherapeutic components, counseling/psychotherapy, and mindfulness-based interventions had the strongest effects on reducing depressive symptoms. Multicomponent and miscellaneous interventions had the largest effects on reduction of burden/stress. Multicomponent and mindfulness-based interventions had the largest effects on enhancing subjective well-being. It should be noted that mindfulness and counseling/psychotherapy studies generally had small samples, and studies with smaller sample sizes tended to report larger effects. Metaregression analyses revealed that, overall, younger caregivers benefited more from the interventions. Although the majority of studies were from North America and Europe, there were a growing number from Asia and other parts of the world. Recommendations were made, including developing new theoretical models that address caregivers' changing needs over time; development of interventions that can be flexibly administered and individually "tailored," and assessing positive as well as negative aspects of caregiving to encourage development of greater resilience. We conclude with observations on the global health significance of improving the impact of psychosocial interventions on caregivers' lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cheng, S. T., Li, K. K., Losada, A., Zhang, F., Au, A., Thompson, L. W., et al. (2020). The effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology and aging. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000401
Vancouver
Cheng ST, Li KK, Losada A, Zhang F, Au A, Thompson LW, et al. The effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology and aging. 2020. doi:10.1037/pag0000401. PMID: 31985249.
BibTeX
@article{cheng2020-31985249,
author = {Cheng, S. T. and Li, K. K. and Losada, A. and Zhang, F. and Au, A. and Thompson, L. W. and Gallagher-Thompson, D.},
title = {{The effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis}},
journal = {Psychology and aging},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1037/pag0000401},
pmid = {31985249},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000401}
}
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 7 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
- Postintervention effects were significant for all outcomes when all interventions are pooled together.
- Metaregression analyses revealed that, overall, younger caregivers benefited more from the interventions.
- We conclude with observations on the global health significance of improving the impact of psychosocial interventions on caregivers' lives.
Why it matters
This review of 131 trials found that nonpharmacological interventions for dementia caregivers reduced depressive symptoms, burden, and stress, with some effects lasting at follow-up. Educational programs with psychotherapeutic components, counseling, and mindfulness-based interventions had the strongest effects on depressive symptoms, though studies with smaller samples tended to report larger effects.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychology and aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Psychology and Aging: journal h-index 243 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| 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 | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 301 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 37.6 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 26.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 18 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 132 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Dolores E. Gallagher-Thompson: h-index 87 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Stanford University: institution h-index 2,684 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31985249) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
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