Feasibility of a Social Work Practice-Framework for Family Caregivers in Kerala, India

A Pretest-Posttest Study

Bibliographic Data

ID12385306
AuthorsLorane Scaria (0000-0002-9992-2587, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous)), Saju Madavanakadu Devassy (0000-0002-6188-9267, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), corresponding author)
Year2025
Publication date2025-06-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueResearch on Social Work Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7315 • E-ISSN: 1552-7581
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10497315251352832
OpenAlexW4411712948
LanguageEN
References cited37

Purpose: The study assessed the effectiveness of a social work intervention incorporating cognitive behavioural and family engagement strategies, in reducing depression and burden among caregivers of people with disability. Methods: The single-arm, pre-post experimental feasibility trial was tested among 47 caregivers, identified from a community in Kerala, India. The intervention employed a tiered approach, tailoring strategies of varying intensity based on caregivers’ depression severity, as assessed using standardized scales. Results: A significant decrease was observed on both outcome measures, depression and caregiver burden following the intervention. Subgroup analysis based on baseline depression severity indicated a significant decrease in depression scores among caregivers with moderate or higher levels of depression, while caregiver burden decreased across all groups. Discussions: By customizing intervention strategies based on the severity of depression, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of how tiered interventions can be more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach

Economic growth · Clinical Psychology · Family Caregiving in Mental Illness · Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Work · Gerontology

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