Quality of life among dementia caregivers using an online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: a longitudinal qualitative analysis.

OBJECTIVES

Family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) may experience reduced quality of life. While some caregiver interventions focus on specific concerns (behavioral symptoms, care-management), or caregiver symptoms (grief, anxiety, depression), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic approach that addresses a broad range of psychological symptoms and can be effectively delivered through digital mental health interventions (DMHI), offering a plausible solution to improving access.

METHOD: Dementia caregivers completed a 6-session DMHI on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tailored to caregiving stress ('ACT for Caregivers'). Post-completion and 6-week follow-up interviews were conducted. A team-based approach and thematic analysis were used to analyze longitudinal interviews with 28 participants.

RESULTS

We identified three overarching themes: (1) Improvements in Quality of Life (QoL), (2) Facilitators of QoL, and (3) Mixed Impact on QoL. QoL improvements included two subthemes: vibrant living and reduced stress. Facilitators included enhanced emotional awareness/regulation and increased caregiving capacity.

CONCLUSION

ACT for Caregivers shows promise as a scalable, accessible, and cost-effective DMHI for dementia caregivers, and this study supports that self-reported improvements in quality of life for those completing the program were sustained 6 wk later.