Group interventions focused on the burden of caregivers of patients with dementia: a systematic review

Background: Besides receiving general orientations about how to deal with a patient with dementia, the caregiver needs support to cope with the progress of the disease and to alleviate his burden, as well as his depressive and anxious symptoms. Objectives: To evaluate the theoretical and methodological models used, as well as the effect of the group interventions on the burden of caregivers of people with dementia. Method: Search of articles at ISI, PubMed/Medline, SciELO and Lilacs about the efficacy of non pharmacological interventions with caregivers of patients with dementia, from January 1999 to August 2010, using the keywords: "dementia", "caregiver", "burden", "non pharmacological interventions", and "group/groups". The studies found were organized in two categories: psychoeducational or psychosocial interventions and psychotherapeutic interventions. Results: Thirty seven articles were selected, 31 psychoeducational or psychosocial interventions and 6 psychoterapeutic ones, with statistically significant results related to the efficacy of group interventions on the burden of caregivers of people with dementia in 33 cases. There was an improvement especially on the scores of caregivers' depression and stress. Discussion: In spite of efficacy, the group interventions for caregivers of people with dementia still need randomized studies aimed at the solution of important methodological problems of this kind of treatment, like the lack of standardized educational approaches, the number of participants or the duration of the group.