Interventions for Attitudes and Empathy Toward People With Dementia and Positive Aspects of Caregiving: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the effect of interventions on three outcomes among caregivers of people with dementia and health professionals, including positive aspects of caregiving, attitudes toward people with dementia, and empathy.

Three electronic databases were searched to find RCTs published in peer-reviewed journals until January 7, 2019. A total of 13 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in meta-analysis.

The included studies compared psychoeducational interventions, a combination of education, skill-building, and coping strategies, to control group. Meta-analyses of the included studies found that the overall effects of psychoeducational interventions on three outcomes were not statistically significant compared to control groups.

The findings indicate that there is no evidence for the positive effect of psychoeducational interventions on these outcomes, warranting further RCT studies designed to target on these outcomes.