Eficacia de un programa de intervención psicológica basado en la Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso para cuidadores informales de personas con demencia en el entorno rural

Resum

Introduction: The physical and psychological burden experienced by caregivers of individuals with dementia is a significant consequence of the increasing demands of caregiving. Informal caregivers are usually direct family members who, in a nonprofessional and unpaid capacity, provide functional and emotional support to the patients over extended periods. In rural areas, the situation is worsened by limited access to services, insufficient resources, and less developed social care. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an intervention program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Losada et al., 2015) to improve the emotional well-being of informal caregivers in a rural setting. Material and Method: a quasi-experimental design was employed with 32 participants, recruited by convenience sampling from the caregivers of users of the Day Center of the Association of Relatives of Alzheimer's Patients and other Dementias of the Valle del Ambroz and Trasierra Tierras de Granadilla (AFEAVA). The caregivers were assigned to two groups: the intervention group (IG, n=15) and the control group (CG, n=17). The IG participated in the program, while the CG received standard care. The program was implemented in 8 weekly group sessions. Pre- and post-intervention measures were taken on six variables related to ACT and four outcome variables (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and burden), using validated scales. Results: The intervention group (IG) demonstrated a significant reduction in Experiential Avoidance (p<.001), Values Discrepancy (p<.001), Feelings of Guilt (p<.001), Depression (p=.001), Anxiety (p=.003), Perceived Stress (p<.001), and Burden (p<.001). Conclusions: The implementation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in a group setting for family caregivers of patients with dementia residing in rural areas can help to facilitate the development of self-care strategies and a reduction in their levels of psychological distress.