Feasibility and acceptability of the World Health Organization's iSUPPORT program for dementia caregivers in Uganda.

Abstract

This study aims to address Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It involves adaptation of the World Health Organization's iSUPPORT (WHO-iSUPPORT) psychosocial intervention for Uganda, assessing its feasibility and acceptability, and its effects on caregivers' psychological distress, quality of life (QoL), and depression levels. The adapted iSUPPORT (UGA-iSUPPORT) program was translated into Luganda, a local language, validated by experts, divided into four modules, and later piloted for four weeks in Wakiso, Uganda. The caregivers were randomly assigned to receive weekly UGA-iSUPPORT sessions or modified standard care via weekly phone consultations. Baseline and endpoint changes were assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Measure of Quality of Life for Dementia Caregivers (C-DEMQOL). The intervention group (n = 33, 87.9% females, mean age 32.5 years) showed significant improvements in psychological distress (decreased from 29.2 to 23.7, p = 0.001), depression (from 33.4 to 25.6, p = 0.001), and QoL (from 81.1 to 89.4, p = 0.001). The control group (n = 32, 50% female, mean age 36.7 years) did not experience similar enhancements. The high retention rate (97%) and positive feedback from the participants underscored the program's feasibility and acceptability. UGA-iSUPPORT effectively boosted the mental health and well-being of dementia caregivers in LMICs. This study highlights the necessity of enduring and expandable interventions within healthcare systems. Further studies are warranted to examine these interventions' prolonged impacts.