Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Activities on Family Caregiver Burden in Patients With Dementia-A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Progressive functional decline and behavioral disturbances in people with dementia place sustained emotional and practical demands on family caregivers, often resulting in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a high perceived caregiving burden. This pilot study examined the effects of an 8-week online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on psychological burden and well-being among family caregivers of people with dementia. Data from 39 caregivers (78.0%) who completed the intervention were analyzed. Participants had a mean age of 53.18 ± 13.33 years, with 30.8% being men; 61.5% were adult children and 38.5% were spouses or siblings of the person with dementia. At baseline, more than half of the caregivers (53.8%) reported moderate to severe psychological distress. Following the intervention, caregivers demonstrated significant improvements, including reduced perceived burden, lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved functional engagement. These findings indicate that online MBSR is a feasible and accessible intervention that may meaningfully reduce psychological burden among family caregivers of people with dementia. Given its virtual delivery and low resource requirements, MBSR has the potential to be integrated into routine caregiver support services, particularly for those with limited access to in-person interventions. Further research involving larger and more diverse caregiver populations is needed to confirm the durability of these benefits and to guide broader implementation.