Longitudinal Effects of Communication Training on Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease

Nineteen caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who participated in a training program designed to improve their communication skills with their family members were compared to a control group (n = 18) on seven questionnaires at entry, post-training, six months, and 12 months. These self-reports measured affect (positive and negative), depression, health, general hassles, communication hassles, and knowledge of AD. Effects of training on these measures were examined over time. The training group showed decreased communication hassles and increased knowledge of AD. No significant changes were found for the control group. Overall the training group showed less negative affect. However, when socioeconomic status was used as a covariate, this difference was no longer significant.