JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Family carers of older adults often experience significant mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. Although online coaching interventions have been found in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in carers, only few studies have examined the broader impact of applying online self-help intervention for enhancing resilience and overall wellbeing in carers. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a self-directed eCoaching intervention for family carers of older adults aimed at preventing anxiety and depressive symptoms, while also assessing its impact on enhancing their resilience and overall wellbeing, particularly for those with mild level of carer needs.

Objective:

The primary objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to assess the effectiveness of the self-directed eCoaching intervention in preventing anxiety symptoms, measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7); (2) to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); and (3) to examine secondary outcomes for determining its broader impact, including improvement in level of carer needs, quality of life, caregiving burden, self-care efficacy and resilience.

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial will recruit family carers of older adults living in Hong Kong, who will be randomly assigned to either eCoaching intervention group or control group in an online platform. The eCoaching intervention will consist of structured modules for self-directed learning on lifestyle intervention, family relationship and emotion regulation. 231 participants will complete the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up to evaluate changes in anxiety and depression scores. Secondary outcome measures will include standardized measurements assessing level of carer needs, quality of life, caregiving burden, self-care efficacy and resilience.

Results:

Hypotheses: It is hypothesized that participants in the eCoaching intervention group will demonstrate a statistically significant effect in prevention of anxiety and depressive symptoms at both post-intervention and 3-month follow-ups compared to the control group, in term of reduction in GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores. Significance: The anticipated findings from this study could provide valuable insights into the potential of eCoaching as an accessible self-help intervention for improving mental health outcomes among carers of older adults, particularly those classified with mild level of carer needs. If successful, this self-directed approach may offer a scalable solution to alleviate psychological distress, preventing early psychological symptoms from progressing into serious illness and enhancing overall well-being and resilience in this vulnerable population.

Conclusions:

This study aims to fill a critical gap in carer support interventions by evaluating the effectiveness of a self-directed eCoaching program. The results will inform future mental health strategies and interventions tailored for carers, ultimately fostering a healthier caregiving environment. Clinical Trial: The protocol for this study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT06604481 on September 18, 2024. The registration was completed prospectively before the enrollment of the first participant.