The buffering effect of a computer support on caregiver strainCitation Bass, D., McClendon, M., Brennan, P.F. & McCarthy, C. (1998). The buffering effect of a computer support on caregiver strain. Journal of Aging and Health, 10(1), 20-43. Design Randomized controlled trial Participants The participants of this study were N=102 caregivers of care receivers with Alzheimer's disease Outcome / Dependent Variables The dependent variables were caregiver physical and emotional strain and relationship strain Procedure The study examined whether participants in the experimental group had greater reductions in 4 types of care-related strain.
The intervention involved access for a 12-month period, to ComputerLink - a computer support network for caregivers of care receivers with Alzheimer's disease. Results were compared to a control group.
Outcomes ComputerLink reduced certain types of strain if caregivers also had larger informal support networks, were spouses, or did not live alone with their care receivers. More frequent use of ComputerLink was related to significantly reduced strain for caregivers who were initially more stressed and for non-spouse caregivers. Greater use of ComputerLink was related to sig lower strain among caregivers who lived alone with care receivers.
Author Bass, D., McClendon, M., Brennan, P.F. & McCarthy, C. | 
