The goal of this pilot study is to learn if virtual peer support groups and strengths-based skills training can help family caregivers of ICU survivors providing ongoing support to ICU survivors after hospital discharge. The main question it aims to answer is:
\- Are virtual peer support groups and/or strengths-based skills support feasible and acceptable for family caregivers of ICU survivors? Researchers will compare the intervention group (virtual peer support groups or strengths-based skills training) to the control group (no intervention) to see if the interventions improve caregiver outcomes and assess feasibility and acceptability.
Participants will:
* Participate in either virtual peer support groups or strengths-based skills training sessions (if assigned to the intervention arm). * Provide feedback on the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions (if assigned to the intervention arm). * Complete surveys and follow-up questionnaires (either online or by phone) to measure outcomes.
(1) Family member of a person admitted to an ICU for >48 hours and survived to hospital discharge. "Family" is anyone with a biological, legal, or emotional relationship with the patient and whom the patient wants involved in their care
(2) Planned or current part or full-time caregiver of the ICU survivor
(3) Age ≥ 18 years
(4) Within 6 months of ICU survivor's hospital discharge.
(1) Another family member participating in the study
(2) Inability to communicate in English or French.
Parallel
Virtual peer support group intervention
BehavioralThe virtual peer support group aims to improve emotional well-being, reduce isolation, and help caregivers cope by offering a safe space to share experiences and receive support from others facing similar caregiving demands.
Caregiver Support intervention
BehavioralThe caregiver support intervention is a personalized program designed to improve quality of life, reduce fatigue and caregiver burden, and build resilience.
Resources
Other interventionParticipants will be given a list of resources to contact in case of emotional or psychological distress.
Caregiver Burden - The Zarit Burden Interview-12 (ZBI-12) - 3 months
A 12-item self-report tool that has been validated for measuring the level of caregiver burden related to care provision. Each item in the ZBI-12 is scored on a five-point Likert scale from 0 to 4 (0=never to 4=nearly always). Summed scores range from 0-48, with greater scores representing greater feelings of burden.
Caregiver Burden - The Zarit Burden Interview-12 (ZBI-12) - 6 months
A 12-item self-report tool that has been validated for measuring the level of caregiver burden related to care provision. Each item in the ZBI-12 is scored on a five-point Likert scale from 0 to 4 (0=never to 4=nearly always). Summed scores range from 0-48, with greater scores representing greater feelings of burden.
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) - 3 months
A 12-item self-report tool that has been validated for measuring perceived social support from family, friends and significant others. Each item is scored on a likert scale from 1-7, where 1= Very strongly disagree, and 7= very strongly agree. Total scores range from 12 to 84, where a score of 12-35 could be considered low support; a score of 33 to 60 could be considered moderate support; a score from 61 to 84 could be considered high support.
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) - 6 months
A 12-item self-report tool that has been validated for measuring perceived social support from family, friends and significant others. Each item is scored on a likert scale from 1-7, where 1= Very strongly disagree, and 7= very strongly agree. Total scores range from 12 to 84, where a score of 12-35 could be considered low support; a score of 33 to 60 could be considered moderate support; a score from 61 to 84 could be considered high support.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) - 3 months
A 9-item self-reported tool to quantify depression symptoms and monitor severity. Each item is scored using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0-3 (not at all=0, several days=1, more than half the days=2, and nearly every day=3). The total score can range from 0 to 27, where a total score of 0-4 indicates minimal to no depression, 5-9 indicates mild depression, 10-14 indicates moderate depression, 15-19 indicates moderately severe depression, and 20-27 indicates severe depression.
FAM-Activate (FAM-A)
The FAM-Activate (FAM-A) tool is a self-administered 4-item questionnaire that assesses an individual's current activation. FAM-A uses a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), and scale results are changed to a 0-100 scoring system, with higher scores indicating greater activation. Activation refers to the knowledge, skills, and confidence of a family member.
FAMily Engagement (FAME)
The FAMily Engagement (FAME) tool is a self-administered 12-item questionnaire that assesses an individual's current engagement practice. FAME uses a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), and scale results are changed to a 0-100 scoring system, with higher scores indicating greater engagement in care. The following subdomains are evaluated: engagement perception, family presence, communication, education, decision-making, care contribution, and family needs. FAME includes the following engagement domains: family presence, family needs, communication and education, decision making, and direct care. FAME also captures the following family-centered care principles: dignity and respect, information sharing, participation, and collaboration.
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