Evaluation of a New CBT for People With Alzheimer's Disease and Their Caregivers

Up to 70 % of people with dementia suffer from severe psychological distress that decreases their quality of life and that of their caregivers. A vicious circle can easily install between the person with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and her caregiver: the distress expressed by the person with AD increases burden of the caregiver who ends with distress, which in turn intensifies the distress of the person with AD. In addition to disrupting the quality of life of people, psychological distress can also accelerate cognitive decline, caused by an increase in memory and attention problems. For all those reasons, it is indispensable to treat psychological distress in people with AD and their caregivers. The project aims to test the feasibility and efficacy of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) especially designed to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life of people with AD and their caregivers and, possibly, to slow down cognitive decline.