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Skills Training With Supporters of the Demented
Author(s) -
Gendron C. E.,
Poitras L. R.,
Engels M. L.,
Dastoor D. P.,
Sirota S. E.,
Barza S. L.,
Davis J. C.,
Levine N. B.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1986.tb07262.x
Subject(s) - assertiveness , medicine , supporter , coping (psychology) , stress reduction , relaxation (psychology) , clinical psychology , gerontology , psychology , social psychology , archaeology , history
This study examined the effects of Supporter Endurance Training (SET) on family supporters of elderly demented patients. Single case methodology was used in evaluating the outcome of providing eight supporters with eight weekly training sessions in meditative relaxation and assertiveness. Four such supporters received no special training. A videotape dramatizing typical problem situations encountered with a demented family member was used to elicit information about supporters' coping styles. Post‐training and six‐month follow‐up evaluation indicated improvements among trained individuals on measures related to assertiveness, problem solving, and stress reduction. Trained subjects' estimates of the length of time they would be able to cope with problems involved in caring for their relatives also increased. Few such improvements occurred among untrained subjects. These results suggest the usefulness of brief structured skills training programs in helping supporters to improve their coping abilities.