BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

GERONTOLOGIC RESEARCH in the past 40 years has shown that caring for an older, disabled person affects the health and well-being of the caregiver. This important contribution led to a wide range of programs and services designed to buffer caregivers from the effects of stressors. Many of these programs have been quite innovative. Although empirically validated treatments have lagged behind clinical innovation, a growing number of wellconducted studies are providing a solid foundation that guides practice. Several excellent meta-analyses—with excellent summary tables—of this body of work have been published (Gallagher-Thompson & Coon, 2007; Knight et al., 1993; Pinquart & Sorensen, 2006; Zarit & Zarit, 2007). These reviews concluded that although there are many promising approaches, their benefits for caregivers are sometimes modest, and some interventions appear to have little or no effect. Building on the findings of those meta