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Effect of Support Groups on Family Caregivers to the Frail Elderly*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Andrée Demers  and
Jean-Pierre Lavoie
Andrée Demers
Affiliation:
Université de Montréal
Jean-Pierre Lavoie
Affiliation:
Direction de Santé publique, Montréal centre
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Abstract

This paper reports on a project aimed at creating support groups for caregivers of the frail elderly and assessing their impact on participants. The effect evaluation was based on a quasi-experimental design with repeated measures (n = 120). The results show that participation in support groups did not lower the caregivers' subjective burden, and indeed contributed to its increase. Conversely, such participation appears to have had a stabilizing effect on their level of depressive symptoms. Both these effects, reported at the end of the support group experience, persisted three months later. Various possible explanations of these contradictory results are discussed.

Résumé

Cet article présente les résultats d'évaluation d'un projet d'ateliers de soutien destiné aux aidantes naturelles de personnes âgées. L'évaluation des effets repose sur un devis quasi-expérimental avec mesures répétées (n = 120). Les résultats montrent que la participation aux ateliers de soutien n'a pas réduit le fardeau subjectif des aidantes et qu'elle a au contraire contribué à l'accroître. Par ailleurs, elle semble avoir contribué à stabiliser leur niveau de symptômes dépressifs. Ces effets, observés à la fin des ateliers de soutien, persistent trois mois après la fin de l'intervention. Différentes explications de ces résultats contradictoires sont considérées en discussion.

Keywords

Subjective BurdenDepressionCaregiversSupport GroupsEvaluation.Fardeau subjectifdépressionaidantes naturellesateliers de soutienévaluation.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1996 , pp. 129 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1996

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