Quality of life among dementia caregivers using an online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: a longitudinal qualitative analysis

OBJECTIVES: Family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) may experience reduced quality of life. While some caregiver interventions focus on specific concerns (behavioral symptoms, care-management), or caregiver symptoms (grief, anxiety, depression), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic approach that addresses a broad range of psychological symptoms and can be effectively delivered through digital mental health interventions (DMHI), offering a plausible solution to improving access. METHOD: Dementia caregivers completed a 6-session DMHI on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tailored to caregiving stress ('ACT for Caregivers'). Post-completion and 6-week follow-up interviews were conducted. A team-based approach and thematic analysis were used to analyze longitudinal interviews with 28 participants. RESULTS: We identified three overarching themes: (1) Improvements in Quality of Life (QoL), (2) Facilitators of QoL, and (3) Mixed Impact on QoL. QoL improvements included two subthemes: vibrant living and reduced stress. Facilitators included enhanced emotional awareness/regulation and increased caregiving capacity. CONCLUSION: shows promise as a scalable, accessible, and cost-effective DMHI for dementia caregivers, and this study supports that self-reported improvements in quality of life for those completing the program were sustained 6 wk later.