Bereavement, Dementia
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a writing intervention (Reclaiming Yourself), intended to facilitate bereavement for spousal caregivers whose partners died with dementia.
Detailed description
The current research is part 3 of a multi-phase project, whose purpose was to examine the experience of bereavement for spousal caregivers to persons with dementia. Based on spouses' shared experiences and the input of experts in the field (i.e. bereavement/dementia researchers, health care providers), an existing writing intervention called the Finding Balance tool was adapted from the context of cancer bereavement to that of dementia. The purpose of this third phase is to test this adapted writing intervention (Reclaiming Yourself) with bereaved spouses of persons with dementia. Participants will be randomly assigned into one of two groups: treatment (who will receive the tool); and control (who will not be offered the tool until a later stage). The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention will be assessed, as well as the degree to which it facilitated participants' bereavement, ability to find balance, and psychological health.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALthe Reclaiming Yourself tool
This tool is a behavioural writing intervention, intended to facilitate bereavement for spousal caregivers of persons with dementia
Sponsors
University of Saskatchewan
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* bereaved for three months or longer * were a caregiver for their spouse with advanced dementia * English speaking * willing and able to share their bereavement experience
Exclusion criteria
* those with other than a spousal relationship to the person with dementia * spousal caregivers of persons with another terminal disease * those bereaved less than 3 months * those unable to provide consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory of Daily Widowed Life (IDWL)- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention | The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention | Measure of finding balance in bereavement |
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale- Revised (CESD-R)- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention | The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention | Measure of depressive symptoms |
| Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, Present Feelings- change at 1 and 2 months post-intervention | The measure will be administered pre-intervention, 1 month following the introduction of the intervention, and 2 months following the introduction of the intervention | Measure of grief |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-structured qualitative evaluation interviews | Post intervention (after 1 month) | Measure of the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed