Croke, Elizabeth
(2021)
Examination of the effectiveness of web-based interventions that have been developed
for informal caregivers of people with dementia: an umbrella review.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
The numbers of caregivers for people with dementia (PWD) is at catastrophic levels in the
The United States. Approximately one in ten families are compelled to be caregivers at any given time due to illness or injury. The majority of PWD are living at home and consequently this forces family members and friends into caregiver positions. Dementia does not strike the population equally. Those at higher risk for dementia are minorities, those who are poverty-stricken and have lower education levels. America’s population of those over the age of 65 will grow exponentially in the coming decades. This will have significantly more impact on the US socially and economically as our population continues to age. The economic value that caregivers provide to recipients of dementia is in the billions of dollars. Our current formal healthcare system, such as long-term service placements cannot support the placement of this sum of PWD. Most families prefer to keep their loved ones at home as long as possible. Caregivers are crucial to our healthcare system continuing to function financially and logistically. This umbrella review seeks to investigate the results of systematic reviews for web- and internet-based interventions with or without therapeutic intervention to decrease caregiver depression, anxiety, and isolation, and to increase competence and self-efficacy. After following PRISMA criteria of evaluation, results suggest that electronic interventions decrease mental health conditions while increasing motivation and self-efficacy. Methods include an exhaustive search of Medline (OVID) for
systemic reviews, only to find that previous systemic reviews on this subject matter are limited.
Five systematic reviews meet the established a priori inclusion criteria. This was a grave v
limitation for this research endeavor and further exemplifies the limited attention to technological
interventions in our healthcare system. The public health significance for this topic is that web and internet-based interventions will serve to reduce the cataclysm of caregivers of PWD that are
expected to infiltrate long-term care facilities, thus aiding the social and economic outcomes for
the United States healthcare system.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Felter, Elizabeth | emfelter@pitt.edu | emfelter | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Donahue, Julie | jdonahue@pitt.edu | jdonahue | UNSPECIFIED |
|
| Date: |
14 May 2021 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Submission Date: |
30 April 2021 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
120 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
caregiver,
dementia, web-based, internet, systematic, and meta-analysis |
| Date Deposited: |
14 May 2021 18:38 |
| Last Modified: |
14 May 2021 18:38 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/40951 |
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