Depressive symptoms of informal family caregivers Mental and Behavioural Disorders Depressive episode, unspecified
Conditions
Interventions
The counselors randomized to the training condition receive a specific training over six months. The counselor training is based on problem-solving (PS) for caregiver counselors according to the six p
D'Zurilla, Nezu, & Maydeu-Olivares, 2004
D'Zurilla & Nezu, 2006): (a) optimism and orientation, (b) problem definition and facts, (c) goal setting, (d) generation of alternatives, (e) decision making, and (f) implementation and verification.
Sponsors
National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) (Germany)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Caregiver counselors: 1. Providing caregiver counseling according to 7a SGB XI 2. Are qualified according to the recommendations of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) 3. Agreed to participate in the advanced training 'Family caregiver counseling is problem-solving' and the evaluation. Informal caregivers: 1. Significant subjective caregiver burden assessed with three screening questions (decreased mental and physical health, feelings of loneliness, subjective caregiver burden) 2. Comprehensive counseling or case management is necessary (at least one personal counseling session and at least one telephone-based or personal follow-up contact) 3. Having the primary responsibility for someone who cannot fully take care of himself or herself according to the criteria of the German statutory nursing insurance 4. Is the main contact person for the caregiver counselor 5. 18 years and older 6. Consented to participate in the evaluation
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Caregiver counselors: 1. Incomplete participation in the advanced training course 'Family caregiver counseling is problem-solving' (non-participation in the 2-day main training course or/and less than 50% of the 13 bi-weekly supervision telephone contacts) Informal caregivers: 1. Professional paid responsibility for care recipient 2. Not able to speak and read German
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Informal caregiver: Depressive symptoms (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale; Radloff, 1977). Measured at T0 (after enrollment) , T1 (3 months after T0), T2 (6 months after T0) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Informal caregiver: 1. Caregiver burden (Sense of Competence Questionnaire; Vernooij-Dassen,1993) - Short version (Pendergrass et al., submitted). 2. Subjective physical complaints (Giessen Subjective Complaints List [Gießener Beschwerdebogen]; Brähler, Hinz & Scheer, 2008) - Subscale: Pains in Limbs (updated 21/07/2015; was previously Exhaustion). 3. Negative problem orientation (Social Problem Solving Inventory - Revised; D'Zurilla, Nezu, & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002; Graf, 2003) - Subscale: Negative Problem Orientation. 4. Leisure time satisfaction (Leisure Time Satisfaction Questionnaire, Stevens et al., 2004). Additional assessments: 1. Health service use (3 months retrospective) 2. Care-related quality of life (CarerQol; Brouwer, et al., 2006) 3. Semi-structured interviews with a random sample of caregivers All caregiver domains (except the interviews) are measured at: T0 (after enrollment) T1 (3 months after T0) T2 (6 months after T0) Caregiver counselor: 1. Session management self-efficacy (Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales; Lent et al., 2003) - Subscale: Session Management Self-Efficacy. 2. Difficult client behaviors self-efficacy (Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory; Larson et al., 1992) - Subscale: Difficult Client Behaviors. Additional assessments: 1. Burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory; Büssing et al., 1992) - Subscales: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. 2. Self-Care (Program to promote psychosocial health resources; Kaluza, 2011) - Subscale: Self-Care Questionnaire. 3. Evaluation questionnaire by the informal caregiver. 4. Workload (Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress; Schulz, Schlotz & Becker 2004) - Subscale: Workload. Counselors assigned to the intervention group are evaluated at T0 (enrollment, previous to the training), 6 months after T0 (after the training), 12 months after T0 (after the caregiver evaluation period). Counselors assigned to the waiting list are evaluated at T0 (enrollment), 6 months after | — |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed