Comparing Structured Retrieval Practice and Reading-Based Education for Dementia Caregivers
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50+
SponsorVirginia Wesleyan University
About this trial
Caring for a person living with dementia can be stressful, and many family caregivers report limited access to effective educational resources for managing dementia-related behaviors and caregiver stress. This study will evaluate a learning-based educational intervention called structured retrieval practice (SRP), which is designed to improve long-term learning by encouraging repeated recall of information with feedback. Informal dementia caregivers will be randomly assigned to learn caregiving and self-care strategies using either SRP or a traditional reading-based educational approach. Participants will be assessed on their knowledge, confidence in caregiving skills, stress levels, and perceptions of dementia-related behavioral symptoms over multiple follow-up periods. The study will also examine whether the SRP intervention is feasible and acceptable for caregivers in real-world settings.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults aged 50 years or older
Informal (unpaid) caregiver for a family member or friend living with dementia
Providing ongoing assistance or support to the individual with dementia
Reports moderate to high perceived stress, defined as a score of 14 or higher on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Disqualifiers
Paid or professional caregivers (e.g., home health aides)
Caregivers younger than 50 years of age
Caregivers reporting low perceived stress (PSS-10 score below 14)
Caregivers providing assistance to an individual without evidence of cognitive - impairment, as determined by a dementia screening interview (AD8 score < 2)
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Structured Retrieval Practice
BehavioralThe structured retrieval practice intervention is an educational learning approach designed to support durable knowledge retention through repeated active recall of information with corrective feedback. Caregivers will engage in retrieval-based learning activities focused on dementia symptom management, coping strategies, and self-care. Learning activities will be spaced over time, and participants will receive immediate feedback to support learning and retention.
Reading-Based Education
BehavioralThe reading-based education control condition consists of caregiver educational materials presented in a traditional reading format. Participants will review written information covering dementia-related behavioral symptoms, coping strategies, and caregiver self-care. Materials will be matched in content to the structured retrieval practice condition but will not include active retrieval or feedback components.
Treatment groups
65 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Structured Retrieval Practice (SRP)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Reading-Based Education ControlActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Caregiver Knowledge Retention
Caregiver knowledge retention will be assessed using a researcher-developed multiple-choice assessment designed to measure factual and applied knowledge related to dementia symptom management and caregiver stress management. The assessment will consist of 64 items written at or below an 8th-grade reading level and tailored to each participant's selected learning content. Scores will reflect the total number of items answered correctly, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge retention.
Time frame
Baseline; 2 days post-intervention; 2 weeks post-intervention; 2 months post-intervention2
Caregiver Self-Efficacy
Caregiver self-efficacy will be measured using the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy (RSCSE). The RSCSE is a validated self-report instrument assessing caregivers' confidence in managing stress, responding to disruptive behaviors, and controlling upsetting thoughts. The measure includes three subscales, each consisting of five items rated on a 0% to 100% confidence scale. Subscale scores will be summed to create composite indices, with higher scores indicating greater caregiving self-efficacy.
Time frame
Baseline; 2 days post-intervention; 2 weeks post-intervention; 2 months post-intervention3
Caregiver Perceived Stress
Caregiver perceived stress will be assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), a widely used self-report measure of perceived stress. Participants rate items on a 5-point Likert scale based on the frequency of stress-related experiences in the past month. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Time frame
Baseline; 2 days post-intervention; 2 weeks post-intervention; 2 months post-interventionSecondary outcomes
1
Caregiver-Reported Dementia-Related Behavioral Symptoms
Caregiver perceptions of dementia-related behavioral and psychological symptoms will be assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). Caregivers will indicate the presence and severity of symptoms across multiple behavioral domains. Composite scores will be calculated to reflect overall symptom presence and symptom severity, with higher scores indicating greater perceived symptom burden.
Time frame
Baseline; 2 days post-intervention; 2 weeks post-intervention; 2 months post-intervention2
Intervention Acceptability and Satisfaction
Participant satisfaction and acceptability will be assessed using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8), an 8-item self-report measure of satisfaction with health and educational interventions. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction and acceptability.
Time frame
Immediately after completion of the intervention session.3
Intervention Adherence
Intervention adherence will be assessed using backend program usage data capturing participants' completion of intervention sessions and engagement with assigned learning activities. Adherence metrics will reflect the amount of intervention content completed and exposure to the intended learning schedule.
Time frame
During intervention periodSponsors and contacts
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Virginia Wesleyan University
Lead sponsor
Texas Christian University
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov