Effect of the spiritual care training on anxiety reduction in home caregivers of the elderly with Alzheimer disease

Taking care of people with Alzheimer’s disease is a stressful task and home caregivers of such patients are posed to anxiety, physical and mental exhaustion, as well as losing their caregiving performance. This study was conducted to determine the effect of spiritual care in reducing anxiety in caregivers of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease.
This work is an experimental study, where 60 home caregivers of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease were selected in Rafsanjan using the convenience sampling method. Next, based on the inclusion criteria for the study, they were randomly assigned into two test and control groups. Relativly, the data were collected using demographic forms and Beck anxiety inventory before and after the intervention. Then, the spiritual care was provided for intervention group within five 45-60 minute sessions each week while the control group received no intervention.
The average of pre-intervention anxiety scores in the intervention and control groups was 14.04 and 13.71, respectively. The independent statistical t-test showed no significant difference between these two groups before intervention (P = 0.907). The mean post-intervention score of anxiety in the intervention and control groups was calculated as 7.92 and 13.85, respectively. In comparison, the statistical independent t-test showed a significant difference between these two groups after intervention (P = 0.028).
Spiritual care can reduce anxiety in home caregivers of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease. Thus, it is recommended for all caregivers.