Self-Care Training for Family Caregivers of Persons With Neurodegeneration

The purpose of this study is to assess whether an 8-week mindfulness program enhances psychological well-being (e.g., stress, depressive symptoms), biological indicators of stress (e.g., inflammation), and cognitive function (e.g., attentional ability) in primary family caregivers of persons with dementia or a related neurodegenerative disease. A total of 232 primary family caregivers aged 50+ years of age will be recruited for this study and randomized to one of three groups: mindfulness meditation (MM), psychoeducation (PSY) or caregiver respite (CR). All participants will complete three testing sessions: baseline (pre-intervention \[T1\]), post 8-week follow-up (post-intervention, \[T2\]), and 12-month follow-up (T3).