A multi-centre, randomized, 3-month study to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone app to increase caregiver’s positive mental health

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Abstract

Background

To assess the effectiveness of a smartphone app-based intervention compared to a regular intervention of caregivers in primary health care institutions. The intervention is aimed at increasing positive mental health and decreasing caregiver’s burden.

Methods/design

Randomized and controlled trial with an experimental group and a control group. Subjects: 108 caregivers over 18, with a minimum of 4 months of experience as caregivers. Description of the intervention: an intervention with a smartphone app ( n = 54) or a regular intervention for caregivers ( n = 54). Each caregiver installs a smartphone app and uses it for 28 days. This app offers them a daily activity (Monday-Friday). These activities are related to the Decalogue of Positive Mental Health, which was designed ad hoc by a group of experts. The outcomes will be the score of caregiver burden, the positive mental health and participant satisfaction. These results will be assessed after the first, third and sixth month.

Discussion

The results of this study will offer evidence of the effectiveness of an intervention using a free smartphone app. If its effectiveness is proven and the results are acceptable, this could lead to a rethinking of the intervention offered to caregivers in primary care.

Trial registration

Clinical Register ISRCTN14818443 (date: 24/05/2019).

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Most cited references 10

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Impacts of Informal Caregiving on Caregiver Employment, Health, and Family

Jan Michael Bauer, Alfonso Sousa-Poza (2015)

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A Web-Based Psychoeducational Program for Informal Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Victoria Cristancho-Lacroix, Jérémy Wrobel, Inge Cantegreil-Kallen … (2015)

Background Although several face-to-face programs are dedicated to informal caregivers of persons with dementia, they are not always accessible to overburdened or isolated caregivers. Based on a face-to-face intervention program, we adapted and designed a Web-based fully automated psychoeducational program (called Diapason) inspired by a cognitive approach. Objective This study aimed to evaluate through a pilot unblinded randomized controlled trial the efficacy and acceptability of a Web-based psychoeducational program for informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (PWAD) based on a mixed methods research design. Methods We recruited and randomized offline 49 informal caregivers of a PWAD in a day care center in Paris, France. They either received the Web-based intervention and usual care for 3 months (experimental group, n=25) or only usual care (control group, n=24). Caregivers’ perceived stress (PSS-14, primary outcome), self-efficacy, burden, perceived health status, and depression (secondary outcomes) were measured during 3 face-to-face on-site visits: at baseline, at the end of the program (month 3), and after follow-up (month 6). Additionally, semistructured interviews were conducted with experimental group caregivers at month 6 and examined with thematic analysis. Results Intention-to-treat analysis did not show significant differences in self-perceived stress between the experimental and control groups (P=.98). The experimental group significantly improved their knowledge of the illness (d=.79, P=.008) from baseline to month 3. Of the 25 participants allocated to the experimental group, 17 (71%) finished the protocol and entirely viewed at least 10 of 12 online sessions. On average, participants used the website 19.72 times (SD 12.88) and were connected for 262.20 minutes (SD 270.74). The results of the satisfaction questionnaire showed that most participants considered the program to be useful (95%, 19/20), clear (100%, 20/20), and comprehensive (85%, 17/20). Significant correlations were found between relationship and caregivers’ program opinion (P=.01). Thus, positive opinions were provided by husbands and sons (3/3), whereas qualified opinions were primarily reported by daughters (8/11). Female spouses expressed negative (2/3) or neutral opinions (1/3). Caregivers expected more dynamic content and further interaction with staff and peers. Conclusions In this study, quantitative results were inconclusive owing to small sample size. Qualitative results indicated/showed little acceptance of the program and high expectations from caregivers. Caregivers did not rule out their interest in this kind of intervention provided that it met their needs. More dynamic, personalized, and social interventions are desirable. Our recruitment issues pointed out the necessity of in-depth studies about caregivers’ help-seeking behaviors and readiness factors. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01430286; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01430286 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation/6KxHaRspL).

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Effectiveness of computer-mediated interventions for informal carers of people with dementia—a systematic review

Vicky McKechnie, Chris Barker, Josh Stott (2014)

Background: Caring for a friend or relative with dementia can be burdensome and stressful, and puts carers at increased risk of physical and psychological problems. A number of psychosocial interventions, some delivered by computer, have been developed to support carers. This review evaluates the outcomes of computer-mediated interventions. Methods: PsychINFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL Plus were searched for papers published between January 2000 and September 2012. Study quality was evaluated using a modified version of Downs and Black's (1998) checklist. Results: Fourteen empirical studies, evaluating a range of complex, multifaceted interventions, met inclusion criteria. The most commonly measured variables were carer burden/stress and depression. In general, higher quality studies found that interventions did have an effect on these variables. Two higher quality studies also found that anxiety was reduced following intervention. Most studies found that positive aspects of caring were increased through these interventions, as was carer self-efficacy. There were mixed results in relation to social support, and physical aspects of caring did not seem to be affected. Program impact measures indicated general acceptability of these interventions. Conclusions: The findings support the provision of computer-mediated interventions for carers of people with dementia. Future studies would benefit from design improvements, such as articulating clearly defined aims, having a control group, having adequate statistical power, and measuring a greater range of factors important to carers themselves.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Carme Ferré-Grau: carme.ferre@urv.cat

Laia Raigal-Aran:

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3308-0572

laia.raigal@urv.cat

Jael Lorca-Cabrera: jael.lorca@urv.cat

Maria Ferré-Bergadá: maria.ferre@urv.cat

Mar Lleixà-Fortuño: mlleixaf@catsalut.cat

Maria Teresa Lluch-Canut: tlluch@ub.edu

Montserrat Puig-Llobet: monpuigllob@ub.edu

Núria Albacar-Riobóo: Nuria.albacar@urv.cat

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Public Health

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMC Public Health

Title: BMC Public Health

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1471-2458

Publication date (Electronic): 5 July 2019

Publication date PMC-release: 5 July 2019

Publication date Collection: 2019

Volume: 19

Electronic Location Identifier: 888

Affiliations

[1 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2284 9230, GRID grid.410367.7, Nursing Department, Campus Catalunya, , Universitat Rovira i Virgili, ; Catalunya avenue, 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain

[2 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2284 9230, GRID grid.410367.7, Nursing Department, Campus Terres de l’Ebre, , Universitat Rovira i Virgili, ; Remolins Avenue, 13-15, 43500 Tortosa, Tarragona, Spain

[3 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2284 9230, GRID grid.410367.7, Computer Engineering and Mathematics Department, Campus Secelades, , Universitat Rovira i Virgili, ; Països Catalans Avenue, 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain

[4 ]Director of Territorial Health Services of Terres de l’Ebre, Sant Joan Baptista de La Salle street, 8, 43500 Tortosa, Tarragona, Spain

[5 ]ISNI 0000 0004 1937 0247, GRID grid.5841.8, Nursing Department, , Universitat de Barcelona, ; de la Feixa Llarga street, s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

Author information

Laia Raigal-Aran http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3308-0572

Article

Publisher ID: 7264

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7264-5

PMC ID: 6612114

PubMed ID: 31277623

SO-VID: 10284dc0-31e9-43ab-b306-a09ba00b28e0

License:

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

History

Date received : 2 June 2019

Date accepted : 30 June 2019

Funding

Funded by: FundRef http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004587, Instituto de Salud Carlos III;

Award ID: PI16/01576

Award Recipient : Carme Ferré-Grau

Custom metadata

ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health

Keywords: study protocol,clinical trial,caregiver,mobile phone application,positive mental health,mhealth

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health

Keywords: study protocol, clinical trial, caregiver, mobile phone application, positive mental health, mhealth

A multi-centre, randomized, 3-month study to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone app to increase caregiver’s positive mental health

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Most cited references 10

Impacts of Informal Caregiving on Caregiver Employment, Health, and Family

A Web-Based Psychoeducational Program for Informal Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of computer-mediated interventions for informal carers of people with dementia—a systematic review

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