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. 2022 Jan 5;19(1):614.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010614.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Stress Reduction in Family Carers of People Living with Dementia: A Systematic Review

Emme Chacko  1 , Benjamin Ling  1 , Nadav Avny  2 , Yoram Barak  3 , Sarah Cullum  1 , Fred Sundram  1 , Gary Cheung  1
Affiliations

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Stress Reduction in Family Carers of People Living with Dementia: A Systematic Review

Emme Chacko et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The prevalence of dementia is increasing and the care needs of people living with dementia are rising. Family carers of people living with dementia are a high-risk group for psychological and physical health comorbidities. Mindfulness-based interventions such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy show potential for reducing stress experienced by family carers of people living with dementia. This study aims to systematically assess the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in reducing stress experienced by family carers of people living with dementia. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, AMED, ICTRP, and ALOIS were searched for relevant studies up to August 2020. All types of intervention studies were included. Quantitative findings were explored. Seven studies were eligible for inclusion. The analysis showed that there was a statistically significant reduction in self-rated carer stress in four studies for the mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group compared to controls. One study that was adequately powered also showed reductions in carer burden, depression, and anxiety compared to control. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to be a potentially effective intervention for family carers of people living with dementia, but large, high-quality randomized controlled trials in ethnically diverse populations are required to evaluate its effectiveness.

Keywords: carers; cognitive therapy; dementia; depression; mindfulness; stress; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk of bias assessment. Note. Green = low risk, Amber = some concerns, Red = high risk.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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