Application and effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy among informal caregivers of chronically ill people - literature review

Abstract

Caring for a chronically ill person is a crisis experience for caregivers, who in specialist literature are called informal carers (ICs). The consequences of informal care are associated with both physical and mental health disorders - including symptoms of depression, anxiety, distress or stress. Existing research documents the application of cognitive-behavioural therapy (Cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBT) as an effective intervention for ICs, however, the efficacy of CBT methods varies across different informal caregivers groups. The purpose of this article is to present the overview and effectiveness of CBT methods for ICs of chronically ill patients, discussing the main theoretical concepts of this approach, general goals and therapeutic methods. Finally, the effectiveness of the treatments as well as limitations of the studies are discussed. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is an effective method of working with neurocognitive patients' informal caregivers, it has diverse and flexible therapeutic protocols that allow the goals of therapy to be tailored to the needs of the caregiver. Given the challenges of an aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases, informal care is becoming a significant challenge for the healthcare system and will require the attention of mental health professionals.