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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01690117

German Adaptation of REACH II

The purpose of the present study is to adapt, to implement and to evaluate an support program for family caregivers of patients suffering from Alzheimers'Disease (AD). The intervention was comprehensive developed and successful evaluated in the USA and is called Resources to Enhance Alzheimers´Caregiver Health -second step (REACH II). To test the effectiveness of this German adaptation of REACH II the present implementation study is designed as randomized and controlled trial. Primary outcome is reducing family caregiver burden.

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Key information

Conditions

Dementia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Family Caregiver Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie

Leipzig, Saxony, 04103, Germany

About this study

Caring for elderly people with dementia imposes a heavy strain on care providers like family caregivers and puts them at risk of psychological and physical morbidity. A variety of psychosocial interventions have been developed which aim at improving caregiver emotional and physical health. These interventions differ in terms of treatment delivery (individual or group format) and content (education, symptom appraisal, problem solving, skill building, stress management or behavior modification). Systematic reviews and meta analyses have concluded that individualized programs have a greater impact than group interventions, and problem solving or behavior modification strategies are superior to education alone. Structured multi-component interventions may also reduce the risk of patients home admissions.

The intervention program "Resources to Enhance Alzheimer's Caregivers Health -second step" (REACH II) is a multimodal, individualized and structured multi-component intervention program for family caregivers and was successfully evaluated in a multisite, randomized and controlled trial in the USA. The overall objectives of REACH II are to identify and reduce modificable risk factors to enhance the well-being of the caregivers and to enhance the quality of care. It takes place at caregivers home and focuses on 5 domains that are important to caregivers: reducing depression, decreasing burden, improving self care, enhancing social support, and managing problem behaviours.

Since there is a lack of effective treatment programs for family caregivers of demented persons in the German Health system respectively care system the purpose of the present study is to adapt and to implement REACH II to the care system conditions of a medium-sized East German town (Leipzig). To test the effects of this adapted intervention program the present study is design as unisite, randomized and controlled trail. Primary outcome is reducing family caregiver burden.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • age 21 years or older
  • living with or sharing cooking facilities with the care recipient
  • providing care for a relative with a medical diagnosed Alzheimer disease or related disorder, vascular dementia or behavior variant frontotemporal dementia for at least 4 hours per day for at least the past 6 months

Exclusion criteria

  • Involvment in another caregiver intervention
  • actual psychiatric diagnosis of mental illness
  • illness that would prevent 6 months of study participation
  • forthcoming institutionalization of the person being cared.

Other requirements were logistic, including having a telephone, planning to remain in the geographic area for at least 6 months, and competency in German.

Treatment and study plan

GE-REACH-program

Behavioral

The intervention program "Resources to Enhance Alzheimer's Caregivers Health -second step" (REACH II) is a multimodal, individualized and structured multi-component intervention program for family caregivers

Primary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline in Burden on the German Version of Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) (5-point Scale) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    The ZBI is a validated , self-reported instrument assessing burden of caregivers of people with dementia over a undefined period of time. Possible scores range from 0 (no burden) to 88 (highest possible burden). Change = (month 6 - baseline score).

  2. Change From Baseline in Burden on the German Version of Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) (5-point Scale) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    The ZBI is a validated , self-reported instrument assessing burden of caregivers of people with dementia over a undefined period of time. Possible scores range from 0 (no burden) to 88 (highest possible burden). Change = (month 9 - baseline score).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline in Somatization on the Patient Health Questionaire - 15 Items (PHQ-15) - Module Somatization at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and 6 month

    PHQ-15 is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing somatization over the last 4-weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (no somatization) to 30 (most possible somatization). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  2. Change From Baseline in Somatization on the Patient Health Questionaire - 15 Items (PHQ-15) - Module Somatization at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    PHQ-15 is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing somatization over the last 4-weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (no somatization) to 30 (most possible somatization). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

  3. Change From Baseline in Mental Health on the Patient Health Questionnaire - 4 Items (PHQ-4) (4-point Scale) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    PHQ-4 is a validated, self-reported Instrument assessing mental health over a 2 - week period. Possible scores range from 0 (not ill) to 18 (worst possible mental illness). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  4. Change From Baseline in Mental Health on the Patient Health Questionnaire - 4 Items (PHQ-4) (4-point Scale) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    PHQ-4 is a validated, self-reported Instrument assessing mental health over a 2 - week period. Possible scores range from 0 (not mental ill) to 18 (worst possible mental illness). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

  5. Change From Baseline in Social Support on the ENRICHED-Social-Support-Instrument (ESSI) (5-point Scale) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    ESSI is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing perceived social support of the caregivers over a undefined period of time. Possible scores range from 1 (no social support) to 25 (most possible social support). Change = (month 6 score - Baseline score)

  6. Change From Baseline in Social Support on the ENRICHED-Social-Support-Instrument (ESSI) (5-point Scale) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    ESSI is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing perceived social support of the caregivers over a undefined period of time. Possible scores range from 1 (no social support) to 25 (most possible social support). Change = (month 9 score - Baseline score)

  7. Change From Baseline in Psychological Quality of Life on the German Version of the Mental Component Summary of the General Health Questionaire Short Form 12 (SF-12) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    SF-12 - mental component is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing psychological quality of live of the caregivers over the last four weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (lowest level of health) and 100 (highest level of health). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  8. Change From Baseline in Psychological Quality of Life on the German Version of the Mental Component Summary of the General Health Questionaire Short Form 12 (SF-12) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    SF-12 is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing psychological and physical quality of live of the caregivers over the last four weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (lowest level of health) and 100 (highest level of health). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

  9. Change From Baseline in Physical Quality of Life on the German Version of the Physical Component Summary of the General Health Questionaire Short Form 12 (SF-12) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    SF-12 is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing psychological and physical quality of live of the caregivers over the last four weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (lowest level of health) and 100 (highest level of health). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  10. Change From Baseline in Physical Quality of Life on the German Version of the Physical Component Summary of the General Health Questionaire Short Form 12 (SF-12) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    SF-12 is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing psychological and physical quality of live of the caregivers over the last four weeks time period. Possible scores range from 0 (lowest level of health) and 100 (highest level of health). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

  11. Change From Baseline in Frequency of Problem Behavior on a German Version of the Frequency Subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) - (5-point Scale) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    RMBPC frequency subscale is a validated, proxy-reported instrument assessing the frequency of problem behavior of cognitively impaired persons over the last week time period. Possible scores range from 0 (never occured) and 96 (extremely often). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  12. Change From Baseline in Frequency of Problem Behavior on a German Version of the Frequency Subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) - (5-point Scale) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    The frequency subscale of the RMBPC is a validated proxy-reported instrument assessing the frequency of problem behavior of cognitively impaired persons over the last week time period. Possible scores range from 0 (never occured) and 96 (extremely often). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

  13. Change From Baseline in Strength of Reaction of Caregivers to Problem Behavior on a German Version of the Reaction Subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) - (5-point Scale) at Month 6

    Time frame: baseline and month 6

    RMBPC reaction subscale is a validated self-reported instrument assessing the strength of reaction of caregivers to problem behavior of cognitively impaired persons over the last week time period. Possible scores range from 0 (no reaction) and 96 (extremely strong reaction). Change = (Month 6 Score - Baseline score)

  14. Change From Baseline in Strength of Reaction of Caregivers to Problem Behavior on a German Version of the Reaction Subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) - (5-point Scale) at Month 9

    Time frame: baseline and month 9

    RMBPC reaction subscale is a validated self-reported instrument assessing the strength of reaction of caregivers to problem behavior of cognitively impaired persons over the last week time period. Possible scores range from 0 (no reaction) and 96 (extremely strong reaction). Change = (Month 9 Score - Baseline score)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Leipzig

Other

Registry information

Official study title

German Adaptation of Resources to Enhance Alzheimer's Caregiver Health

Acronym: GE-REACH

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2015
First posted
Sep 21, 2012
Registry last updated
Nov 29, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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