1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of a booster session offered two weeks after the six-month post-program assessment.» (p. 208) «Booster sessions are follow-up visits offered after program completion with the aim of ensuring that gains made by program participants are maintained over time.» (p. 207)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«[W]e sought to answer two questions: (1) Does the booster session contribute to maintain the positive effects of the program observed post-program? and (2) As caregivers might need some time to put into practice certain skills proposed in the program (Cooke, McNally, Mulligan, Harrison, & Newman, 2001), does the booster session foster the emergence of positive effects that did not significantly emerge post-program?» (p. 208)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«This multisite study was conducted in Quebec, Canada, with a cohort of [89] French-speaking caregivers whose relatives had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease by geriatricians and neurologists working in memory clinics.» (p. 208) La technique employée pour la récolte des données était l’observation de groupes, basée sur différentes échelles de mesure.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The program and the booster session were offered caregivers at disclosure of a relative’s dementia diagnosis. Prediction analyses revealed that the booster session had a significant positive effect only on emergence of preparedness for caregiving. It appears that the booster session in and of itself did not contribute to maintenance of low psychological distress and emergence of self-efficacy. The emergence of preparedness following the booster session can be attributed to the fact that the LBFC (Learning to Become a Family Caregiver) program was offered shortly after diagnostic disclosure and, therefore, the care required by the relative might have been perceived by caregivers as something to be provided only further down the line. By the time the booster session was offered, caregivers were facing a different reality and new demands regarding their relative’s care. Consequently, circumstances were ripe to elicit a heightened sense of being ready to deal with the situation. Something similar might explain the emergence of self-efficacy as well. Indeed, in the face of the demands of the new caregiving situation, caregivers might have felt the need to put certain skills into practice. However, preparedness emerged only for caregivers who received the booster session whereas selfefficacy emerged regardless of it.» (p. 213)