The Effect of Cyberspace-Based Education on the Well-Being of Caregivers of Elderly People with Dementia

Introduction: One of the consequences of aging is the prevalence of chronic and age-related diseases, such as dementia. Caring for patients with dementia has a negative impact on the caregiver's well-being. This study aimed to examine the impact of cyberspace-based education on the well-being of caregivers of demented elderly people. Methods: This experimental study was done on a sample of 86 caregivers of the elderly with dementia in 2018. The study sample was selected from the memory clinic of Taleghani Hospital and randomly assigned into groups (intervention n = 43, control n = 43 groups). The well-being was measured using the World Health Organization - Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) before and two months after the intervention. The cyberspace-based educational intervention was conducted for one month. The SPSS software version 23 was employed in data analysis. Results: The mean age of the caregivers in the intervention and control groups were M = 51.95, SD = 10.90 and M = 51.36, SD = 15.12 respectively. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of age, gender, and level of education. The results of the analysis showed that while the well-being of the intervention group was significantly increased (t (38) = -11.38, P<0.001), the well-being in the control group was significantly reduced (t(36) =4.71, P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings showed that cyberspace-based education could improve the well-being of caregivers of the elderly with dementia.