Abstract:
Objective: This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group
therapy on guilt feeling among family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study where in the pre-test and post-test
control group design was employed. The statistical population of this study consisted of the
female family caregivers of the Alzheimer’s patients who were referred to the Iran Alzheimer’s
Association in 2012. Among this population, 32 volunteers were selected via convenience
sampling method and were then randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups.
The participants of both groups filled in the guilt feeling questionnaire and caregiver guilt
questionnaire in both the pre-test and post-test phases. The therapy program lasted for 14
sessions. Multivariate regression analysis and covariance analysis were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results showed that the levels of overall guilt and caregiver guilt had significantly
decreased in the experimental group after the exposure of this group to cognitive-behavioral
group therapy as compared to the pre-test and control group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, cognitive-behavioral group therapy was found
to reduce the overall guilt and caregiver guilt among the family caregivers of Alzheimer’s
patients. This therapeutic method is recommended as a cost-effective treatment to be used by
family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.
Machine summary:
"Research Paper: Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy on Guilt Feeling Among Family Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease Masoumeh Mahmoudi1, Parvaneh Mohammadkhani2*, Bagher Ghobari Bonab3, Fariborz Bagheri1 1.
Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy on Guilt Feeling Among Family Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, cognitive-behavioral group therapy was found to reduce the overall guilt and caregiver guilt among the family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.
The findings of these studies (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009; Gonyea, Paris, & de Saxe Zerden, 2008; Croog, Burleson, Sudilovsky, & Baume, 2006), were indicative of an existing high level of guilt that leads to increased care burden in the caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on the overall guilt feeling among family care- givers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Moreno, 2010; Croog, Burleson, Sudilovsky, & Baume, 2006; Mahoney, Regan, Katona, & Livingston, 2005; McConaghy & Caltabiano, 2005) showed that women encompass a greater percentage of the population of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients; similarly, the psychological side effects caused by the burden of caring in women is higher than that in men).
Accordingly, this study was conducted for the first time with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy in the overall guilt feeling and caregiver guilt among family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.
Given the positive results of cognitive-behavioral group therapy in this research, it is possible to make use of caregivers in Alzheimer’s associations in order to overcome feelings of guilt and prevent more extensive damage."