Interventions Related to Caregiver Burden in Patients Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the world and is characterized by alterations in multiple brain functions. Caregivers of these patients - mostly family members - are exposed to caregiver burden, which leads to a deterioration in their health. Regarding this, there is no consensus on the use and impact of interventions that can be helpful to this population. Methods A systematic review was conducted including studies published since 1985, which included interventions carried out with family caregivers of patients with AD. An analysis and description of the findings were performed. Results Out of a total of 303 articles, 21 were selected for review. Therapeutic interventions were classified into 4 categories: support groups, counseling, specific psychotherapy, and others. Among the analyzed works it is found that the authors use different psychometric instruments to measure caregiver burden, and a decrease in the frequency of affective symptoms such as anxiety and depression was found in caregivers. Conclusions Family caregivers are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems, and interventions to alleviate caregiver burden have been shown to be helpful for these individuals. However, these interventions should be tailored to the specific conditions of each population.