Maintaining the potential of a psycho-educational program: efficacy of a booster session after an intervention offered family caregivers at disclosure of a relative's dementia diagnosis

Background: Booster sessions as a means of maintaining the benefits of psycho-educational programs have received little attention in caregiving research. Caregivers were offered a booster session following participation in a program entitled Learning to Become a Family Caregiver (LBFC) intended to facilitate transition to the caregiver role after diagnostic disclosure of dementia in a relative. The 90-minute booster session served to review program content and afforded the opportunity to discuss and practice learned skills. This study sought to test the efficacy of the booster session in maintaining or recovering program effects at six months post-program. Method: Participants in the program were randomly assigned to a group that received the booster session (n = 31) or a group that did not (n = 29). A third control group was also formed, which continued to receive only the usual care provided in memory clinics. Eligible participants - French-speaking primary caregivers of a relative diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the past nine months - were recruited in memory clinics in Quebec (Canada). Participants were blindly assessed before randomization and six months after the booster session on outcomes associated with a healthy role transition. Results: Prediction analyses revealed one significant positive effect of the booster session: emergence of preparedness to provide care. Moreover, with or without the booster session, the program continued to have a positive effect on psychological distress and contributed to the emergence of self-efficacy in dealing with caregiving situations. The booster session had no significant effect on knowledge of services, planning for future care needs, use of reframing as a coping strategy, perceived informal support, and family conflicts. Conclusion: The limited effect observed is discussed in terms of the booster session's content and intensity. Recommendations are made for designing future research on the effect of booster sessions, including the importance of including a placebo booster group.