Caregiver Stress and Sleep Study
University of Pittsburgh
Summary
This study includes a randomized experimental component where therapists will systematically deliver an experimental behavioral probe or a supportive control condition. The aim is to evaluate effects on meaningful health-relevant measures including morning activation levels, depression symptoms, rumination, and aspects brain connectivity previously linked with depression.
Description
Depression symptoms are a major public health concern in family dementia caregivers (dCGs) with shared risk factors. With more people living with dementia in the coming decades, more people will become unpaid dCGs. Replacing dCGs with skilled workers is untenable and would cost an estimated $162 billion annually. An estimated 1 in 5 dCGs have a depressive disorders. Over periods of 1-2 years, studies estimate that 25-48% of dCGs will develop new clinically significant symptoms or disorders. Depression symptoms relate to poorer quality caregiving and have health implications, including increase…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 60 years or older. * Provide at least 15 hours/week of unpaid care to a patient with a dementia diagnosis. * Reporting stress or strain delivering care * No or stable pharmacotherapy for depression * Meets screening definition for having morning activation difficulty or a definite morning types per the Composite Morningness Questionnaire (CMQ) Exclusion Criteria: * Unsafe or unable to undergo MRI * Active Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for mood or insomnia * Probable dementia diagnosis * Deadly illness or plans to leave the study area * Current active substance use d…
Interventions
- BehavioralMorning Action Plan Execution
Each day, participants are asked to track if they do the morning activity plan.
- BehavioralActivity Strategy-based Session with Therapist
Participants will meet weekly with a trained therapist to discuss their prescribed activity plan. If unsuccessful, at weekly follow-ups, participants are asked to refine their plan or make a new one. Each session lasts about 30-45 minutes.
- BehavioralAttention-based Session with Therapist
Participants will meet weekly with trained a therapist to talk about stressors they experience, providing an opportunity to voice and self-address their problems. In this control condition, therapists will not deliver any particular strategy except for active listening and referring to the educational materials
- BehavioralAdvance sleep-wake time
Some participants will be asked to adjust their sleep schedule to accommodate morning activity engagement by introducing or altering mechanisms known promote early rising (i.e., light exposure, reward and processes, etc.)
Location
- UPMC Western Behavioral HealthPittsburgh, Pennsylvania