Interventions conducted with groups of caregivers of elderly with dementia: a systematic review

Introduction: Brazil presents a vertiginous population growth in relation to the group of people aged 60 years or older. In this scenario, a high prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases that require care, including dementia, is identified. Objective: Identify and analyze studies that present model, feature, and results of non-pharmacological interventions in informal caregivers of elderly people with dementia syndrome. Method: Articles were selected according to the methodology proposed by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews in a search at the PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases using the following descriptors: caregivers, elderly, intervention, and dementia. Results: Of the 1069 studies found, 38 articles were selected after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and only 12 of them were included in the final analysis. Randomized studies with control group accounted for 58% (n = 07) of the analyzed articles, whereas studies classified as quasi-experimental were 42% (n = 05). It was also identified that 41.6% (n = 05) of the interventions were classified as Psycho-educational, 33.4% (n = 04) as Behavioral Cognitive Therapy actions, 16.6% (n = 02) as Psychosocial, and 8.4% (n = 01) as Mindfulness therapy. Conclusion: After evaluation of the articles, it was possible to conclude that most of the studies obtained significant results and contributed to reduce some aspects such as depression, stress, and physical and emotional overload, in addition to acquiring skills and knowledge about dementia syndrome. Thus, this study evidences the importance of conducting new research in this scenario.