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Videoconference-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Areum Han, Robert A. Oster, Hon K. Yuen, Jeremy Jenkins, Jessica Hawkins, Lauren Edwards. JMIR Formative Research, 2025-03-31
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The ACT group reported significantly greater improvements in stress (P=.043) and psychological QoL (P=.014) in the posttest compared to the control group. Within the ACT group, participants experienced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, with a mean (SE) change of -6.09 (1.16) points (95% CI -8.42 to -3.76; P<.001) in the posttest and -6.71 (1.45) points (95% CI -9.63 to -3.81; P<.001) in the 3-month follow-up. These changes exceed the estimated minimal clinically important difference on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In addition, the ACT group reported significant improvements in anxiety, stress, psychological QoL, caregiver burden, predeath grief, guilt, values-driven action, and experiential avoidance at both posttest and 3-month follow-up. A sensitivity analysis, excluding 1 participant with near-outlier data, revealed statistically significant between-group differences in depressive symptoms at posttest (P=.037); stress at posttest (P<.001) and in 3-month follow-up (P=.001); psychological QoL at posttest (P<.001); caregiver burden at posttest (P=.003) and in 3-month follow-up (P=.003); predeath grief in 3-month follow-up (P=.031); and values-driven action at posttest (P=.032). The videoconference-delivered ACT program showed promise in improving mental health outcomes and ACT processes among family caregivers with depression who give care to individuals with dementia. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings with larger, more diverse caregiver populations and explore the long-term efficacy of videoconference-delivered ACT programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05043441; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05043441.
Key findings
- The ACT group reported significantly greater improvements in stress (P=.043) and psychological QoL (P=.014) in the posttest compared to the control group.
- Within the ACT group, participants experienced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, with a mean (SE) change of -6.09 (1.16) points (95% CI -8.42 to -3.76; P<.001) in the posttest and -6.71 (1.45) points (95% CI -9.63 to -3.81; P<.001) in the 3-month follow-up.
- These changes exceed the estimated minimal clinically important difference on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
- In addition, the ACT group reported significant improvements in anxiety, stress, psychological QoL, caregiver burden, predeath grief, guilt, values-driven action, and experiential avoidance at both posttest and 3-month follow-up.
- A sensitivity analysis, excluding 1 participant with near-outlier data, revealed statistically significant between-group differences in depressive symptoms at posttest (P=.037); stress at posttest (P<.001) and in 3-month follow-up (P=.001); psychological QoL at posttest (P<.001); caregiver burden at posttest (P=.003) and in 3-month follow-up (P=.003); predeath grief in 3-month follow-up (P=.031); and values-driven action at posttest (P=.032).
Why it matters
In this pilot randomized controlled trial, videoconference-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy led to significantly greater improvements in stress and psychological quality of life compared to the control group, and within the ACT group depressive symptoms decreased by amounts exceeding the estimated minimal clinically important difference. The study is described as a pilot and shows promise for caregiver mental health, not for treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants16
- Evidence strengthHigh
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 (JMIR Formative Research) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | JMIR Formative Research: journal h-index 54 (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 | 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 10 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Lauren Edwards holds only 9 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Alabama at Birmingham: institution h-index 1,118 (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 40163859) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| 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
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
Han, A., Oster, R. A., Yuen, H. K., Jenkins, J., Hawkins, J., & Edwards, L. (2025). Videoconference-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Formative Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/67545
Vancouver
Han A, Oster RA, Yuen HK, Jenkins J, Hawkins J, Edwards L. Videoconference-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Formative Research. 2025. doi:10.2196/67545. PMID: 40163859.
BibTeX
@article{han2025-40163859,
author = {Han, Areum and Oster, Robert A. and Yuen, Hon K. and Jenkins, Jeremy and Hawkins, Jessica and Edwards, Lauren},
title = {{Videoconference-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial}},
journal = {JMIR Formative Research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.2196/67545},
pmid = {40163859},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/67545}
}
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