Care for the caregiver: internet intervention for informal caregivers in Lithuania : disertacija

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Neformalūs globėjai; Psichologinė sveikata; Psichologinė pagalba; Informal caregivers; Psychological health; Psychological support.

ENInformal caregivers are individuals who provide care for significant others in need of support due to frailty or illness. Being able to support a family member can be a very rewarding but at the same time a demanding task. Consequently, informal caregivers are known to experience not only positive but also negative psychological health outcomes and should be offered appropriate support. The main goal of this thesis was to evaluate if Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT) can be suited to provide Lithuanian informal caregivers with psychological support. In addition, a secondary aim was to collect information regarding Lithuanian informal caregiver characteristics, their experienced burden and support needs. The results showed that Lithuanian informal caregivers experience unmet support needs and a high caregiver burden. The findings also show that ICBT can be an effective and acceptable support option for Lithuanian informal caregivers in reducing their burden, depression, anxiety, stress and increasing the perceived quality of life. In conclusion, ICBT should be considered a promising psychological support option for Lithuanian informal caregivers. Further research is needed to evaluate the suitability of ICBT in regular care. [From the publication]