The Impact of Educational Intervention on the Anxiety of Family Caregivers of the Elderly with Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing population of elderly and the consequent increase in the number of chronic diseases such as dementia, the psychological complications such as anxiety in the family caregivers increase. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention on the anxiety of family caregivers of the elderly people with dementia. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was performed in the elderly Neurology Clinics in Shiraz from May to August 2017. This study was conducted on 70 families with elderly people with dementia who were randomly divided into an intervention (receiving in groups for seven sessions of educational intervention) and a control group (Conventional care). Data collection tool was Spielberger’s Anxiety Inventory (40-items, score=20-80). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using ANOVA test with repeated measures and independent t-test. RESULTS: One and three months after the interventions, the mean scores of anxiety in the intervention group were 70.51±3.78 and 70.31±3.43 and in the control groups they were 76.45±3.45 and 76.22±5.08 respectively. The results showed significant differences between the two groups regarding anxiety after the intervention (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Educational programs held to promote and maintain the physical and mental health of caregivers could reduce the anxiety of family caregivers of the elderly with dementia. Trial Registration Number: IRCT2017080915426N4.