Dementia Caregiving Among Diverse Minoritized Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States: A Critical Review of Cultural Adaptations of Nonpharmacological Caregiving Intervention Trials

Adults who provide care to family members living with dementia experience substantial impacts to their well-being. Dementia family caregivers are the backbone of health and long-term care services in the United States, yet they typically do not access evidence-based caregiver interventions. This is especially the case for racial and ethnic minoritized populations, who experience higher rates of dementia yet lower access to diagnostic and specialty care services and evidence-based interventions. This review appraises the peer-reviewed literature on randomized clinical trials to test the effectiveness of caregiver interventions, the extent of cultural adaptations, and their impact on psychological outcomes, including mastery. We find that few evidence-based interventions incorporate cultural and linguistic adaptations, and when they do, most fall short of following formal adaptation frameworks and documenting treatment effects on psychological outcomes by racial and ethnic group. Research must address these shortcomings to increase the equitable distribution of caregiver interventions for all Americans.