A single-session mindfulness-based intervention combined with app-based follow-up may reduce stress in family caregivers of people with dementia. This trial will test the effectiveness and feasibility of a 90-minute group session with mindfulness practices and psychoeducation, plus an 8-week self-practice toolkit and online sharing, compared to an education session on dementia care. The study is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Primary outcome is perceived caregiving stress; secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, positive aspects of caregiving, dyadic relationship, trait mindfulness, and neuropsychiatric symptoms of care recipients. Feasibility outcomes include eligibility, enrollment, attendance, adherence, and retention.
A new closed-loop mindfulness program, delivered partly through a mobile app called Mind & Care, is being tested against a traditional mindfulness program and a brief education control in a randomized controlled trial with 189 family caregivers of people with dementia. The closed-loop program adapts practice durations based on the user's attentional capacity and provides quantifiable feedback to support sustained practice. The primary outcome is perceived stress; secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, peace of mind, caregiving burden, relationship quality, dispositional mindfulness, heart rate variability, and the care recipient's neuropsychiatric symptoms.
A simplified, hybrid mindfulness program delivered in six weekly sessions (face-to-face and online) reduced perceived stress and depressive symptoms and improved heart rate variability and trait mindfulness in 127 dementia caregivers in Hong Kong, compared with a brief education program. No significant effects were found on caregiving burden, dyadic relationships, positive caregiving aspects, or neuropsychiatric symptoms of care recipients. The results suggest that a less intensive, hybrid format can make mindfulness training more accessible and effective for caregivers who face time and responsibility constraints.