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P4–405: Effectiveness of a cognitive‐behavioral group intervention for Latino families in management of Alzheimer's disease neuropsychiatric symptoms
Author(s) -
Gonyea Judith,
Lopez Luz
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.08.238
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , distress , randomized controlled trial , anxiety , multivariate analysis of variance , dementia , clinical psychology , intervention (counseling) , psychology , cognition , depression (economics) , medicine , disease , psychiatry , surgery , pathology , machine learning , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
Background: By 2050, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rates among Latinos in the U.S. are projected to increase from 200,000 to 1.3 million. Yet, there is ample evidence that many Latino elders and their families are underrepresented in the health care system and not receiving services to reduce their risk or manage their dementia. Boston University sought to address this gap through the development and testing of Circulo de Cuidado, a Spanish-language, culturally-sensitive approach, which uses a cognitive behavioral framework to teach caregivers how to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms through: 1) increasing pleasant activities and interactions with their AD relative, 2) reinforcing positive experiences for their AD relative; and (3) reducing caregiver distress. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with caregivers assigned to 1 of 2 study arms: the cognitive behavioral (CBT)experimental condition or the psycho-educational (PE) control condition. Led by Spanish-speaking social workers, the 2 interventions’ structures were identical; a series of 5-weekly, 90-minute group sessions followed by booster telephone calls at 3-, 6-, 9and 12-weeks. However, the 2 groups’ objectives and content differed; the CBT group taught the principles and skills of behavioral change through individualized exercises while the