Effects of digital psychological interventions for family caregivers of people with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Family caregivers of persons with dementia experience a substantial caregiver burden. Digital psychological interventions represent a promising approach to mitigating this burden. Objectives This study aims to examine the impact of digital psychological interventions on the caregiver burd...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Age & Ageing Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13
Autores principales: Hua, Musen, Su, Jiacheng, Zhang, Fuyan, Chen, Shuya, Li, Jiaoyue, Yang, Li
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Jan2026
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Background Family caregivers of persons with dementia experience a substantial caregiver burden. Digital psychological interventions represent a promising approach to mitigating this burden. Objectives This study aims to examine the impact of digital psychological interventions on the caregiver burden of dementia caregivers and investigates potential effect-modifying factors and assesses their effects on depression, self-efficacy and quality of life. Methods This study systematically searched six databases for randomized controlled trials or non-randomized studies of interventions and included studies from database inception to 18 May 2025. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4, and subgroup analysis explored the effects of different intervention duration, formats and technological platforms. Results A total of 16 studies involving 750 family caregivers were included. Meta-analysis showed digital psychological interventions significantly reduced caregiver burden [Standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.21, 95% CI: −0.35 to −0.07; P  = .003] and improved self-efficacy (SMD  = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.61, P  = .001) and quality of life (SMD  = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.91, P <.001). But digital psychological interventions have no statistically significant in alleviating depressive symptoms (P  = .06). Subgroup analyses revealed that interventions lasting ≤2 months, whether delivered in group or individual formats and implemented via web-based or mobile application platforms, had statistically significant effects on caregiver burden. Conclusion Digital psychological interventions effectively alleviate caregiver burden and enhance their self-efficacy and quality of life. Future studies should prioritize short-term interventions and develop integrated approaches combining individual and group formats.