Social Media-based Electronic Bibliotherapy for Dementia Caregivers

Quality of Life Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Social Media-based Electronic Bibliotherapy on Improving the Well-being of Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06327022
• Other study ID #: P0038444
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study aims to assess the efficacy of social media-based electronic bibliotherapy in improving the well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia compared to a control group.

Description:

This randomized controlled trial aims to assess the efficacy of social media-based electronic bibliotherapy in improving the well-being of informal caregivers. Sixty informal caregivers of people with dementia were recruited and randomly allocated to the social media-based electronic bibliotherapy group or usual care group. Participants in the social media-based electronic bibliotherapy group received eight weekly e-bibliotherapy sessions. The control group only accepted the usual care provided by community services, but they received the same intervention materials as the intervention group after project completion. Mental health, caregiving appraisal, health-related quality of life, and psychological well-being were measured to test the intervention's effects immediately after completion. Individual interviews were conducted to explore caregivers' experiences participating in this study within two weeks after completing the intervention.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• caregivers providing regular care to individuals with mild to moderately severe dementia (Global Deterioration Scale=4~6 of any type), requiring at least five hours per week for a minimum duration of six months;
• aged 18 or above;
• not receiving payment for caregiving services rendered;
• assisting with at least one daily activity of the care recipient;
• possessing reading ability;
• utilized social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WeChat for over six months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• caregivers with unstable physical or mental conditions;
• caregivers unable to communicate logically;
• involvement in another interventional study

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dementia
• Dementia Caregivers
• Mental Health
• Quality of Life

Intervention

Other:
• Social media-based electronic bibliotherapy
Eight weekly sessions of bibliotherapy are delivered via their daily social media.
• Usual care
The routine services provided by community centers

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Hong Kong	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	Kowloon

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Hong Kong, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Changes in mental health	Mental health will be measured with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. It is a 4-point Likert scale consisting of 21 items that measure levels ofdepression, anxiety, and stress in participants. Higher scores indicategreater severity of mental health problems.	Pre-intervention, post-intervention (i.e., within one week after completing the intervention)
Secondary	Changes in health related quality of life	The health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 12-item Short Form Survey. It comprises two domains, namely the physical component summary and the mental component summary. Higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.	Pre-intervention, post-intervention (i.e., within one week after completing the intervention)
Secondary	Changes in caregiving appraisal	Caregiving appraisal will be assessed using the Caregiving Appraisal Scale. It is a 26-item Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores on this scale indicate more positive caregiving appraisal.	Pre-intervention, post-intervention (i.e., within one week after completing the intervention)
Secondary	Changes in psychological wellbeing	The psychological well-being will be assessed using the shorter Chinese version of Ryff's psychological well-being scale. This scale is a Likert 6-point scale (1=strongly disagree, 6=strongly agree) comprising 18 items. Higher scores indicate greater levels of psychological well-being.	Pre-intervention, post-intervention (i.e., within one week after completing the intervention)