The Impact of Educational Intervention on the Anxiety of Family Caregivers of the Elderly with Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Tri

Abstract

Background: Due to the increasing population of elderly and the consequent increase in the numberof chronic diseases such as dementia, the psychological complications such as anxiety in the familycaregivers increase. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention onthe anxiety of family caregivers of the elderly people with dementia.Methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed in the elderly Neurology Clinics in Shirazfrom May to August 2017. This study was conducted on 70 families with elderly people with dementiawho were randomly divided into an intervention (receiving in groups for seven sessions of educationalintervention) and a control group (Conventional care). Data collection tool was Spielberger’s AnxietyInventory (40-items, score=20-80). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using ANOVA test withrepeated measures and independent t-test.Results: One and three months after the interventions, the mean scores of anxiety in the interventiongroup were 70.51±3.78 and 70.31±3.43 and in the control groups they were 76.45±3.45 and 76.22±5.08respectively. The results showed significant differences between the two groups regarding anxietyafter the intervention (PConclusion: Educational programs held to promote and maintain the physical and mental health ofcaregivers could reduce the anxiety of family caregivers of the elderly with dementia

Keywords

• anxiety
• dementia
• education
• family caregivers