Anxiety, Depression, Stress
Conditions
Keywords
Caregivers, Complementary Therapies
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of polarity therapy (PT), a complementary and alternative medicine treatment, in American Indian caregivers living in the Pacific Northwest.
Detailed description
The caregivers of people with dementia experience high levels of stress and are at particularly high risk for physical and mental illness. Although stress and illness are serious problems among American Indian caregivers in the Northwest, few studies have concentrated on this population. PT is a treatment that involves awareness of one's energy field and touch therapy; it has been shown to provide several physiological, biological, and psychological benefits. This study will determine whether PT is more effective than respite from caregiving in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and improving health function and overall quality of life in American Indian caregivers. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either eight weekly sessions of PT or 3 hours of weekly respite from caregiving for 8 weeks. At the beginning of the study and at Weeks 4 and 8, participants will complete questionnaires and self-report scales on stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. In addition, heart rate variability and levels of cortisol will be measured at study entry and Weeks 4 and 8.
Interventions
PROCEDUREPolarity therapy
Sponsors
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
35 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Caregiver of a family member with dementia for at least 4 hours a day * American Indian
Exclusion criteria
* Nerve disorders caused by diabetes * Use of beta blockers
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Perceived stress | — |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed