Social Media-Based Bibliotherapy for Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Pilot RCT
2024

Social Media-Based Bibliotherapy for Caregivers of People with Dementia

Sample size: 60 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wang Shanshan, Isaac Leung Sze Him, Avis Fan

Primary Institution: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hypothesis

Can social media-based bibliotherapy improve the mental health of informal caregivers of individuals with dementia?

Conclusion

Social media-based bibliotherapy was well received and showed potential positive effects on the mental health of informal caregivers.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study included 60 informal caregivers.
  • Caregivers received eight weekly sessions of electronic bibliotherapy.
  • WhatsApp was the preferred medium for the bibliotherapy.
  • Statistically significant improvements were found in mental health and stress levels.

Takeaway

This study found that using social media to help caregivers of people with dementia can make them feel better and less stressed.

Methodology

Participants were randomly assigned to either a bibliotherapy group or a usual care group, with outcomes assessed at baseline and post-intervention.

Participant Demographics

Average age of caregivers was 57.41 years, with 79.3% being female.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p=.003

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1093/geroni/igae098.3139

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